


020 - Freak of Nature

by sinfuldesire_archivist



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, Established Relationship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-09
Updated: 2012-09-15
Packaged: 2018-09-06 19:53:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8766766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinfuldesire_archivist/pseuds/sinfuldesire_archivist
Summary: You thought Chuck Shurley was gone, guess again, and this time he's ghostwriting. Couple that with some cursed jewelry and rampant sex, well sex now and then and we have some (hopefully) good slash. Please as you read leave me a review now and then to let me know how this is reading. Pretty please?!!!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the Sinful Desire archivists: this story was originally archived at [Sinful-Desire.org](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Sinful_Desire). To preserve the archive, we began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2016. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [Sinful Desire collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/sinfuldesire/profile).

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The sky had been clear most of the day the forecast was for more of the same with cool days starting in the next week. As a result most everyone was cheerfully walking around in short sleeved shirts enjoying the last of the warm weather before fall set in. Well most everyone was enjoying the days. Kim Long was waiting for her car to come out of the shop, where it had been again for the same problem. It was as if she were having one problem fixed only to have a new problem creep up from the same area. But today she couldn’t be too much bothered. She’d received an insured package in the mail and upon opening it she found a small cache of jewelry, most of it costume fakery stuff, but some honest to goodness serious pieces in the pile as well. The letter enclosed said that this was from the settlement of her great aunts estate and that she wanted Kim to have the jewels. 

 

Her revelry was cut short as the technician came out and told her that the same sensing unit needed to be replaced, however, since she’d just been in the week prior they’d replace it for just labor costs, which suited her just fine. In her thoughts while all this was going on she fingered a particular piece of jewelry, a necklace which she retrieved from the stash. It was an odd looking piece and somehow it seemed to catch her eye immediately. She was just settling back when she was told that it would be another hour on her car, there were the unfortunate platitudes of sorrow, however, nothing could be done for it. It was just the fall of the dice. 

 

She reached up and stroked the pendant of the necklace again, a strange looking conglomeration of artistically designed gold and filigree with a lovely opal in the center of the mass. Her mood darkened suddenly and she walked up to the door leading into the service bay and saw her car surrounded by two or three technicians all carrying on a laughing conversation. Her vision started to turn red from anger, and she walked back to the service desk and demanded that the technicians stop their bantering and get on with the repairs to her car. 

 

The service clerk looked out and saw the joking going on and politely excused himself and stormed into the service bay. She saw with some satisfaction that the employees were evidently being read the riot act as they scattered and the technician turned his attention back on her vehicle. It was done in under an hour but the damage to her day was started. The technician could be seen from his vantage point looking surly and discomfited over the entire situation. He then shut the hood to her car and drove it out of the bay and into the parking lot turning in his service ticket and her keys. The clerk immediately called Kim over and they settled the bill. It was equitable enough and she went out to get in her vehicle, putting her hand on the door latch she pulled only to have the car explode on touch. The explosion sending her flying backwards and landing in a crushed heap on the ground. 

 

The necklace still intact on her neck, the car was a ruined heap and people were rushing from the building in droves. Kim looked at herself, cut and scrapped, several promising bruises to be had out of this event. But she was alive, that was all that mattered. She stood shakily and against her better judgment then sat back down on the asphalt. The owner of the dealership came running out now very solicitous and having said that he’d already called 9-1-1 told her to please sit still for a few moments until the ambulance arrived. They insisted that she please get checked out by the hospital on their ticket, and they would have her a rental vehicle set up until such time as she could come in to pick out a vehicle from the lot, their treat. The talk around the scene was “lady shoulda been killed by that” and “her guardian angel was looking out after her.” 

 

It wasn’t until later that more people thought it strange that she was able to survive the explosion considering the magnitude. “Her guardian angel was sure working overtime for her.” Was the general consensus. No one seemed to notice the lowering cloud mass that had seemed to have had moved into the area. One of the many bystanders was the service technician who had worked on her car, she saw him in her haze and fog of near consciousness, then heard a tremendous crash and a single bolt of lightning crashed from the sky striking the hapless tech square in the center of the head. He was dead before the bolt withdrew.

 

Nampa, Idaho

The day was pleasant enough for the Winchester boys as well; they were enjoying a bright, sunny afternoon on their last day of camping before the cool weather set in for them as well. Sam and Dean cleaned up the rest of their gear while Theo their angel in residence kept busy getting their truck loaded with gear they wouldn’t have needed for the night. It was heading towards sundown when they were called back to the tent by Theo who’d also just finished preparing supper from the last of their stock plus some fish that were caught that day. They dined well and feel quite replete.

 

“Gonna have to look about some more jeans when I get home at this rate.” Dean said fingering the slightly snug waistband.

 

“ Okay so you’ve liked your food a little more than normal, we also haven’t been running that many cases this year either.” Theo commented as he went about cleaning up the cooking gear. 

Sam leaned back on the ground. “Stow it already. Dean you’ve put on a few pounds because of the extra beer you’ve been drinking lately. And yes I’ve noticed. We get home I may not get you on a diet but I’m going to do my damnedest to get you exercising more.”

 

“I’m not bitching, hell this week away has got you away from the computer for a while and got you concentrating to just having a good time. Besides two years to go and we retire.”

 

“Shut up.” Dean said to Sam’s words. “Don’t want to think about retirement right now. 

Seriously, I don’t mind running the occasional case…”

 

“Oh no you don’t!” Theo said firmly. “You agreed eight years ago that you’d retire in ten years. Dean you’re no spring chicken anymore. Hell thought that scare you had with your heart last Christmas would’ve told you something.”

 

“Yes, yes to Obi wan you should listen.” Sam said mimicking their favourite science fiction icon. 

 

“Shut it Yoda.” Dean stretched then and stood, “You’re right though I’ve been way too relaxed and easy going and it’s showing. And yes I know all about the agreed retirement date, but at the same time, I don’t wanna.”

 

“Dean…” Sam started.

 

“What am I gonna do, sit around the yard, or worse sitting down at the El Rancho with the liars club of old men who sit there in the mornings drinking coffee?”

 

Theo and Sam shared a look as if they’d had this conversation a hundred times, a thousand times before. Finally Sam spoke up, “Dean I’m scared for you, even if you’re not, you cut it fine last year with that mild heart attack, and don’t think I’ve not seen you popping the occasional nitro tablet when you thought I wasn’t looking.” Dean huddled over with his brother now. “I want us all to grow old together; I sure as hell don’t want to be planting you.”

 

Dean smiled at his brothers concern. “Oh all right, I’ll think about cutting back on the bullshit and get my health back under control. But just don’t smother me.” He admonished.

 

Sam rolled his eyes. “Like you’d give me a chance to do that.” 

 

They settled in for the night and sat around a campfire just watching the beautiful display of stars overhead. The area they’d chose to camp in was delightfully away from civilization and light pollution so the night sky was redolent with clusters and sprinklings of stars. The night grew chill now and while they weren’t decrepit old men, age had unfortunately caught up with them. Dean of course being the oldest now at 58, his brother Sam coming in just behind him at 53, and there was no sure age on Theo, even Theo didn’t know how old he was for certain, but he pegged it around 1650 and held it there for the time being. 

 

The enjoyed one another’s company now in ways that few marriages had given a couple a chance for the same enjoyment. Oh there was the sexual aspect of their relationship that seemed to be what kept them young at heart. Although they toned back some of their rough house play out of respect for Dean, neither to coddle him nor to remind him that he did have a heart condition, but still you could never be too careful. Theo had offered to heal him at the time of the condition’s birth, but Dean waved it off negligently with a simple, “Not now Theo.”

 

Then in later months he’d taken the angel to task when he pressed the issue about healing his heart. His arguments becoming stronger towards not wanting it healed. An issue which had come between all three of them on occasion. So with the lassitude of the evening Theo tried again. He, Dean and Sam were huddled tight in front of the fire and he looked at Dean who was leaning back staring at the sky. 

 

“Dean?” Theo started wearily.

 

“Hhm yeah.” 

 

“Your heart, please let me…”

 

“Theo I know what you want to do, but personally I think that what happened, happened for a reason, I don’t pretend to know what it was or why, but I do know this.”

 

“What you know oh great sage and bard is that you think your mortality is catching up with you. You’ve had one scare too many, and after being in the pit and pulled out you’re afraid. But you’re letting that fear drive you to make decisions about your health that’s not serving you any good. Let me heal you please.” Theo said heatedly. Dean turned to face him and saw the tracks of wetness on his face. 

 

“Damn if you feel that strongly about it, go ahead.” Dean sighed and leaned back on the ground. Theo straddled him now causing Dean to grin wickedly. “You sure you just want to heal me?” 

 

Theo placed both hands on Dean’s chest and closed his eyes for a moment, there was a brief flash of white light then it was solid darkness again save for the campfire. Dean lay there on the ground grasping his chest for a moment and feeling the strong thudding of his rejuvenated heart. 

 

“But it’s not fair that you did me and Sam gets…”

 

“Sam’s heart is in better shape than yours is now.” Theo said with a grin then he hugged Dean. 

 

They banked the campfire for the night and got into their tent, snuggling down they settled for a pleasant good night of it all.

 

The following morning they all rose with the sun and after breakfast they struck camp. It was an easy enough an affair to do with them. And loaded the pickup with their goods, they also did the Smokey Bear routine and made sure that the campfire was completely dead before they left the clearing. The drive out of the woods was a pleasant enough experience with dead fall crackling under the trucks wheels, they reached the roadside and threaded their way back through the winding roads and out until they were on their way back through to Boise and then further south towards home. 

 

Sam finally indulged himself and opened his laptop, keying it on for the first time in a week he noticed that he did have a few emails stacked up and one in particular caught his eye, it was a retired hunter in Oklahoma, he opened this one first.

 

“Sam, 

Just got word on this, queer set of details but thought you might want to check it out. This woman survived her car blowing up on her but her mechanic catches a lightning bolt through the head. Same woman a week later gets mugged in the city, only to have her mugger struck down again by lightning. And the latest was where the same woman was in a bank that was being robbed; she was taken hostage and forced out of the building towards a waiting van where a set of bolts fried her attacker and the van. Three incidences all were having the same result, be careful with this one man.

Clyde”

 

He showed the email to Theo, Dean was driving so Sam read it to him. “Lightning bolts striking anyone who harms her. This is a new one.” Dean said after a moment.

 

Sam nodded and looked ahead for a moment then went to the Oklahoma Constitution and checked their archives. He found all three articles and pulled up the first, there was a photo of the woman inset with the main picture being the auto dealership. Then in the next two they were strictly print articles. Sam quickly got a name to put with the face and started to do a white pages check up on any “Long’s” in that area. There was a substantial list, so he began to narrow his parameters and he logged into Lexis Nexus to search for her information. It took him about 30 miles but he narrowed what started out as a list of some 40 names to 10. So at least he was that far ahead. Now if they just had a connection with the Oklahoma PD they could trust to detail them the information out. They opted for the local paper instead and called their line. 

 

“Good morning, Oklahoma Constitution, how may I direct your call?” 

 

Sam looked back at the article and saw the writer’s name. “Sharon Bunt please.”

 

“One moment please.” It was a short one, as the line picked up almost immediately.

 

“Sharon Bunt here.” 

 

“Ms. Bunt, Sam Winchester here, I was interested in this story that you wrote about a Kim Long and her encounter with the bank robber. I would like to interview her but have been unable to get any contact information on her.”

 

“Mr. Winchester we are forbidden on giving out that in…Wait a minute, Sam Winchester? You got a brother named Dean?” She asked excitedly. Sam sighed he knew where this was leading at least he thought he did.

 

“Actually yes I do. And yes are paranormal investigators.”

 

“I’ve got a spot on my calendar open in two days at 11:30am just for you. I think we can help each other out.”

 

Then the line went dead.

 

Sam looked at his phone for a moment and then reported the conversation to Dean. “Oh man,” Dean groused, “You don’t think she’s been reading those novels by Shurley do you?”

 

“Maybe…I’m not sure, I mean it’s not like we’ve tried to go out of our way to become a household name.” Sam said.

 

“Wait a minute, who’s this Shurley?” Theo asked.

 

“Chuck Shurley, erstwhile prophet and hack author, the only problem is that he would write about us as or just before the events happened.” Sam noted. “He’s been right on target and scarily so, only thing is no one has heard from him in nearly 30 years.”

 

Sam flipped his cell phone open found a listing and dialed. There was the usual ringing then a pick up.

 

“Hello.” A tired voice asked.

 

“Yes may I speak to Chuck?” 

 

“Nobody here named Chuck.” The answer came and the line went dead.

 

“Well, Chuck’s not on this number anymore.” Sam said as Dean drove onwards. 

 

“Okay so we got a case.” Dean said with a ghost of a grin. “Bout damn time.” 

 

“Don’t get too used to it oh great white hunter.” Sam said looking sideways at his brother. “We’re still retiring.”

 

Dean settled on blowing his brother a raspberry. 

 

Back in Mountain Home that evening they packed up their gear, while Sam did a little more research then settled in for the night. They’d all their gear left to pack waiting by the door when they finally locked up for the night. Sam turned an eye on Theo and Dean. 

 

“Sure is lonesome in the neighbourhood without Charlie and Bill around.”

 

Dean had to grin a bit at that, “Hell they were the ones who said they wanted to take to the road like we did all those years back. They’re good, at least they’re as good as we could make em. Maybe they’ll train some others who’ll start a tradition and the hunter’s trade won’t die out.”

 

Theo snorted and looked at Sam a moment, “Don’t have to worry about those two, well not much anyway. They’re more at home hunting now that they are in that craftsman house up the street.”

 

“So what about us?” Dean said looking around, “You’re going to hold me to that retirement jazz, so what are we going to do, I mean really? This is all we’ve known.”

 

“We’ll worry about that when the time comes.” Sam answered cryptically.

 

“Oooo I love it when you’re being mysterious. Not. Come on Sam answer me straight up on this one.” 

 

“We’re not going to be sitting around on the back porch listening to Jimmy Buffett. I don’t know Dean, I really don’t know, but whatever we do I want it to be us together without having to worry about werewolves, vampires, rougarous, and God knows what else.” Sam said looking into his lovers eyes. 

 

Theo grinned and then walked to the back of the house. He was already stripped down when the two brothers walked into the room. They stripped and made ready for bed they looked at each other for a moment and Sam grinned at Theo who returned the grin.

 

Dean noticed and said, “What’s up you two?”

 

“Well I don’t know about Theo,” Sam started, “But we sure have gone long ways in retaining our looks over all these years.” 

 

“I was just thinking that I still look at you like a hunk.” Theo said grinning. “Of course you are absolutely no slouch in the hunkiness department yourself Dean.”

 

“Glad to hear that!” Dean said grinning now as well. “Does this mean we get lucky tonight?”

 

“You sexual critter you, and after a week away camping, making love under the moonlight, a couple of times out in the open and your still randy.” Sam said looking at his brother.

 

“I’m old I ain’t dead.” Dean replied reaching out and grabbing Theo’s ass as he was closest to him first.


	2. Chapter 2

They all fell into a delighted tangle of arms and legs on the bed, tickling caressing and generally sharing touches which in these latter days was as important to them as sex itself. They’d discovered an entirely new dimension to their lovemaking when they’d came away from a weekend sex clinic given by an Eastern religious practitioner. There was something about Tantric sex that appealed to them and now they found as much fun touching and holding as they did in the usual romp. Then Dean leaned in close and gave Theo a long kiss, looked at Sam and nodded, “I think we’re all going to get lucky tonight.”

 

“Oh what gives you that idea, great white hunter?” Sam said sarcastically as he kissed the nape of Theo’s neck. Theo was in the meantime adequately occupied with Dean’s lips, neck and shoulders. There was a general consumption of kissing going on in the bed to start with.

 

Then came the groping, clumsy at first, the usual sexual ardor at its peak, but gradually ironing out into something quite a bit more workable, in fact, the groping was soon becoming an art form. Dean was at Theo’s hips biting and sucking on the tender flesh in the little indentations on each hip. He was so busy in fact that he lost track of his brother who was now at crotch level on Dean and in one swoop, grabbed the man’s cock and taking over half into his mouth at a gulp. 

 

Dean gasped for a moment causing Theo to pause until he saw what was going on so he turned to give Dean access to his crotch while Theo took Sam’s. It was such a work of art this male daisychain that no one wanted to interrupt it so they continued sucking and lapping, licking and nibbling.

 

Dean finally pulled off Theo long enough, “You keep this up and it’s all going to be over before we get started good.”

 

“Who says?” Sam said pulling back himself and jacking the cock he was loving on. “After all we may be 50 instead of 15 but last time I looked we were also capable of over 4 orgasms in a nights run before we tired out and I’m nowhere near tired.”

 

To suit actions to words he decended back on Dean’s cock lapping at the precome that was oozing in profusion from the slit. 

 

“Fuck this Sam, I want in you now!” Dean demanded his own horniness increasing the others. He pulled off Theo. “And I want Theo in me. Time to railroad car this thing!” He said grinning grabbing the lube from the night table. They pulled off each other then and got into a waiting position as Dean started preparing Sam to receive him. Sam must’ve been tense this evening as the tightness of his sphincter ring was pretty severe to start with but flowered open nearly at Dean’s touch. Dean passed the lube to Theo who liberally slicked up Dean, getting two fingers in with some resistance. They all luxuriated in the sensations then Dean added another finger to his mix as Theo added a third to his. Sam quickly opened now and was moaning in pleasure especially when Dean’s probing fingers found the prostate gland and slowly massaged it. Sam cried out in pleasure as he felt the massage.

 

Dean already had Sam on his back, so he lifted up the legs to give him direct access to Sam’s ass. “Yeah baby, fuck me like you mean it.” Sam swore.

 

“Do I always, Sammy?” Dean said his pupils wide with lust, his dick throbbing now. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold out but he was going to make this fuck count if he held in until he was hard all over again, which was usually the game plan. Dean lined up and eased the first inch into Sam who groaned slightly, his eyes wincing momentarily then relaxing.

 

Then Sam, into the lust of the moment himself, began to push taking in more of Dean until he’d successfully breeched the second gate of muscles. Dean gasped at the tightness and the warmth that was always a part of their mating. 

 

Theo was three fingers deep with ease into Dean as he lined up on Dean’s ass. He took a breath and started easing into Dean who gasped at the double sensations and groaned as Theo pressed his assault, pushing inwardly until at last he was hilt deep into Dean. They started up a sequenced thrust so that they were working together for the ultimate orgasm. Dean was already, ready for his to hit but held off purposefully and with some great effort as Theo plundered his ass.

 

Sam gasped as Dean reached around and grasped his cock stroking it to the rhythm that was set up and in moments they were an excited orgy of fulfillment. They continued to plunge in unison until Dean gasped his initial point of no return breeched and he proceeded to let out a yelp as he came heavily in Sam’s guts. They were already kissing, but the yelp made Sam smile as he felt the spurted being ejaculated into him. The only thing was Dean though completed for the moment, did not make a move to withdraw and crooned as he felt Theo rolling over the top as well. 

 

Theo continued to thrust until he was sure he was drained, then he slowly withdrew laying next to Sam and wiping down with wipes from a container next to the bed. Cleaning himself thoroughly. Then the proceeded to grasp Sam as Dean still hilt deep in Sam eased back on his haunches letting Sam rest his legs on Dean’s shoulders.

 

Theo kept up the stroking for a moment and then dove down on Sam sucking his cock deep into his mouth and throat which sent Sam over the edge as he exploded in orgasm. They were a lovely sweaty mess of humanity with Dean refusing to pull out of Sam even though his cock had deflated to just under half mast. 

 

In the warmth and tightness of Sam’s ass he felt Dean stirring as he started towards another erection and yet another round of solid fucking.

 

The next morning they woke in almost a stupor after the previous night’s rounds of sex. They had to pluralize the term as they were well into four orgasms before they finally called it a night. They took their time. So in truth when that fourth orgasm rolled around it was nearly 3am. And even after the rounds in which they were all taken at least twice, there was no soreness or tenderness involved. Dean had promised them a proper romp later and he would be held to deliver on that he was certain. 

 

It almost certainly followed at after one of these gourmet love sessions, Dean would opt for down and dirty sex. Usually the dirtier the better in his book, which also meant that about anything would go. Including all kinds of sex toys, gags, tools, and fun stuff, everything from vanilla to super kinky. 

 

They breakfasted in town and were soon high-tailing it down the interstate towards Oklahoma, which thankfully they had basically two paths to take, straight down to Colorado and straight across to Oklahoma. The first day’s worth of driving was mostly shared by Theo and Dean while Sam rode shotgun taking advantage of their new satellite internet hookup to put even more data in on this sequence of events. Sadly there was a new wrinkle to add to their case.

 

“(AP) Kim Long, daughter of Jareth and Sarah Long of Woonsocket, Rhode Island and long time resident of Oklahoma city was found dead this morning in her condo on the Maverick Boulevard. Ironically in this case, her assailant was found a few feet distant dead of an apparent heart attack. The body of the assailant has been sent to the crime lab for further disposition while Kim Long found dead of a gunshot wound to the chest. No apparent motive was given for the attack on her life; the only weapon on site was a 40 caliber revolver belonging to the assailant. Name of the assailant is being withheld pending completion of the investigation. Ms. Long is survived by her parents, 2 brothers and sister, and numerous nieces and nephews. News as to her disposition will be released in a later edition.”

 

Sam flipped open his cell phone and found the number he’d previously dialed for the newspaper after a short wait he was connected with the reporter.

“Sharon Bunt.”

 

“Sharon, Sam Winchester here. I saw the article this morning, do you have any pull getting around the crime scene?” 

 

“Possibly since it went down in a local shopping mall.”

 

“That was a bit of news that was conveniently left out of the article.” Sam commented dryly. 

“Wait a minute the news article said something about a condo, how does the mall fit in?”

 

“Old concept, new mall. The developers decided to build up with the mall and the fourth floor up are condos. It turned out to be a bit hit with the younger set as well as seniors. Not my fault that the writer left that out.” Sharon noted.

 

Sam grunted, “Not faulting you in this. Is there a chance of us getting an address on her now?”

 

“When I see you in my office we’ll talk.” Sharon said.

 

“Wait!” Sam said quickly.

 

“Why are you so anxious to meet us?” Sam asked.

 

“Chuck Shurley.” She said not as a fan but interestingly enough as a common everyday thought that was rolling off her lips.

 

“Oh God I was hoping those books were gone the way of the dodo.” Sam groaned.

 

“It’s not that, I did some research on you some years ago when your names came up in connection with another case in the Midwest. I remembered hearing about Shurley’s writings and I’ve seen some the stuff on the internet, creative people, but Shurley hit closer to home, kind of like he was riding along with you both.” 

 

“You could say that.” Sam noted.

 

“Well, I want confirmation, not just a voice over. This is sensitive material I’m talking about and I want to be clear on this before we do anything else.” 

 

“About what?” Sam asked.

 

“When I see you in my office you’ll see. And if I know half of what I think I know and if the way Chuck wrote is half of the way you two really are, you’re going to be intrigued and pissed as hell. Tomorrow Sam.” Then the line went dead.

 

“Damn it.” Sam said clipping his phone shut. Then he reported this conversation to Theo and Dean. Dean’s brow furrowed intently and even Theo looked uncomfortable. 

 

“Are you sure about this meeting?” Dean asked. “I don’t want to walk into a set up.”

 

“She’s holding back some data, something she’s been working on and is afraid to go to the cops with. I’m almost certain of it.” Sam said nodding.

 

They drove on in a long silence until at last Sam thumped his hand, “Why didn’t I think of this before?” 

 

“What?” Theo asked.

 

“The websites, the fan fiction that’s out there, it’s a long shot but hey.” So Sam started surfing and searching, he came up with some pieces which could have been called prophecy but at the same time it could come back to a lucky guess. 

 

There was also no train of thoughts going on with some of these writers then he backed his ears and went to the slash sites. He skimmed through several stories and found few that had anything to close to their actual work; there were in fact many good pieces of straight fan fiction and slash fiction out there, but nothing concrete. Sam sat back and closed his laptop pursing his lips in thought. He leaned his head back against the seat back and grinned when he felt Theo’s sure fingers massaging his temples where a headache was blossoming. Then Sam sat straight up in his place. 

 

“Shit another case of no thought going on!?” Sam said startling both of them. 

 

“Probably because you have been so busy trying to think around the corner.” Castiel said from the back seat. 

 

“You knew.” Sam asked. Castiel smiled enigmatically. 

 

“I know a great deal.” He replied.

 

“What do you know about Chuck Shurley?” Sam asked.

 

“He’s not going to be found.” Castiel said plainly.

 

“Why not?” Dean asked.

 

“Because our Father has designed it that way. You knew that much Theo.” Castiel chided.

 

“I only knew snippets and not enough to be of help.” Theo said defensively.

 

“Snippets would’ve been better than nothing.” Dean said his voice heating slightly.

 

Castiel shook his head, “If God doesn’t want one of his prophets to be found, they won’t be. And Shurley was a very powerful prophet.”

 

Sam looked at him and scowled, “So where does that leave us?” 

 

“Fishing again.” Theo volunteered. 

 

“I’m afraid Theo is correct. I can ask about Shurley but don’t get your hopes up too high.” Castiel said vanishing.

 

“If you wanted to speak to Shurley all you had to do was ask.” A new voice from the back said. Dean looked in the rear view and nearly ran off the road. “Easy son, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The Father said sitting placidly in the back seat.

 

“Is it possible for us to talk with Shurley?” Sam asked.

 

“You have been.” He answered cryptically.

 

“Ok color me dense, could you please be a touch clearer for us slow mortals.” Sam asked.

 

“This information is for your ears alone, I have many personae, one of which was Shurley.” 

 

Sam gulped, “Ok, all that being said, we are going to see a woman who claims to have information on us dredged from the novels. Do you have any information as to what is happening here?”

 

This time God actually smiled, “My children you are making this so much harder than it has to be. Simplify, simplify, simplify.” God said and was then gone.

 

Sam and Dean exchanged a look for a moment then concentrated on the road. Theo sat in his own thoughts for a moment.

 

“Simplify, well if we do that then the simplest explanation is not plausible. Somewhere some of our hunts have become public, we know that Chuck produced these books on a regular basis and usually right after a particular hunt. But we’ve always been so careful to cover our tracks.” Sam posited feeling slow.

 

“You evidently didn’t cover them that well if a reporter was able to piece together reports with the books.”

 

“But how does she even know of us to start with? It can’t be through the books.” Dean added.

 

Sam shook his head, “Let’s just let it go for right now, we’ll know soon enough and maybe get a heads up on this case.” 

 

Then Dean giggled. “What’s so funny?” Theo asked.

 

Dean shrugged a big grin covering his face. “Once when we called Chuck up on a case he answered the phone expecting someone else, evidently a call girl.” 

 

“Dean that’s not funny.” Theo said horror struck but at the same time fighting the urge not to laugh.

 

“Oh yes it is.” Sam said snickering.

 

“Well maybe a little bit.” Theo conceded laughing as well. Theo held out a hand to Sam, “Borrow your laptop a moment?” 

 

“Sure.” Sam said passing it back he heard the rapid clicking of Theo’s speed typing and then a ‘ha’ of success.

 

He passed the laptop back to Sam who looked at the webpage, then staring at the screen put a hand on Dean’s arm. “Pull over.”

 

“Huh, what?” Dean asked concentrating for the moment on the dull highway ahead.

 

“Pull the fuck over. I don’t want to show this to you while you’re driving.” Sam repeated, Dean pulled to the shoulder with less than good grace and put the car in park, and then he looked at Sam.

 

“Ok Samantha, what’s got your panties in a wad?” Dean asked.

 

Sam turned the laptop to where Dean could see the page. He gave him a full minute to digest what was on it and was not surprised to hear a string of epithets that were fouler than a sewer.

 

“Yeah bro, it’s that bad.”

 

“You mean that there are people out there with so little time that they got to put together conspiracy theory sites that match us, the real us up with the events. Plus they got a bad picture of us taken at that flipping con.” 

 

“Apparently so. Dean, we, you and me, are a commodity. Theo’s still out of the picture because no one’s written him into a story…yet.”

 

“No one knows that I’m a part of the partnership.” Theo added gladly. “So someone paired actual events to the books, and then started this site called WinchesterSightings. This is going to hamper the investigations a bit.”

 

“Oh you think!” Dean said sarcastically. 

 

Dean put the car in gear and pulled back into the lane quickly getting up to the speed limit more out of frustration than the need to get to their destination quicker than what they were striving for.

 

He sat there driving, listening to the wheels humming to the rhythm of the highway and considered the ramifications of the news that Theo had discovered. Sam, on the other hand, sat there with a slight grin on his face. 

 

“What’s tripped your trigger?” Dean asked grumpily. 

 

Sam shook his head for a moment the looked back at his laptop. “At least no one has started a conspiracy site about out sexual life. I mean there are slash sites out there and well basically what they are packed with is relatively tame.” Sam said broadly.

 

“Tame?” Theo snorted, “I read a couple of those fics that were classed as fluff, it’s a good thing I’m not diabetic.”

 

“That bad?” Dean asked.

 

“Dean, my dearest darling.” Theo quoted from one of the less quality stories that somehow made it past the editors of the site. 

 

“Man you have just got to be kidding me!” Dean groaned. 

 

In the interim, Sam had pulled up just such a site. He was reading through one story and looked at Dean. 

 

“Hey don’t dismiss it too quickly some of this stuff is pretty hot.”

 

Dean gave him a “more” look.

 

Sam laughed, “I just finished reading a severe leather story where you’re topping man, and it gives me some ideas.” 

 

“Oh great, like you need any more.” Dean bitched.

 

Sam laughed then searched on the keywords “Supernatural” plus “Conspiracy Theory.” He found several websites to investigate and after looking at a couple of them shook his head. 

 

“It’s just as well that Chuck is hiding wherever he is right now. There is too much shit here that hits too damn close to home.”

 

“You’re kidding.” Dean said.

 

Sam shook his head violently. “Dude if we’re not careful we’re going to start getting pegged locations.”

 

Dean slunk down in the seat a bit, “Great if we didn’t have enough to worry about with the boogers we chase, now we got a fan base to watch out for.”

 

“Hey at least there was only the one site that had a photo that they posted and it was blurred so we got lucky there.” Sam shot back.

 

Theo nodded, and then he paused, “You better hope that no one else at that con took your picture.” 

 

Dean paused a moment then looked in the rearview at Theo who was looking out the window in thought, the he looked over at Sam. “Do an image search using our names.”

 

“Good idea.” Sam agreed immediately. He keying in their names and pulled up a page of images based on Sam & Dean Winchester. The pull was gratifyingly slim with no pictures of them personally. He then pulled on their names individually and came up with the shots that Hendrickson used on the wanted posters years ago that had since been expunged. Thankfully as well that those graphics were somewhat generic. Add to that they were going a touch gray at the temples and some lines were starting to form in their face, they could probably evade most groupies. 

 

“The massive plus side is that even though the fan following for Shurley’s books is still pretty rabid, the actual books, even reprinted have little actual imagery of us.” Sam said with a glad sigh.

 

Theo looked forward from the back seat. “I feel like I’m just getting to know you two all over again, do me a favour keep me away from those books.” He asked.

 

“Why?” Sam started.

 

Theo shrugged a moment, “I like the image that my mind’s eye has of you both now, I don’t want some dime novelist to trash that with what may be God’s hand.”

 

“Not a problem.” Dean said grinning now. “Part of me kinda likes the idea of fanchicks.”

 

Sam punched his arm causing him to swerve on the highway slightly. “We’re the only fanchicks you need.” He said firmly.

 

“Oh, I think I punched the jealous button.” Dean spurted.

 

Sam grimaced, “I hate to admit it but yes, I like what we,” he indicated Theo in this as well, “have, I don’t want some fan boy or girl to come along and try to horn in on the action.”

 

“Like that’d happen.” Dean said settling back for the drive.


	3. Chapter 3

The miles passed quickly as Sam and Theo passed the laptop between them while the battery held its charge, they were sharing the time reading some of the various fictional accounts, with Sam or Theo reading a selected passage out loud from time to time. Finally Sam shut the laptop down and plugged it into the car charger. He pondered his thoughts a moment and then looked over at Sam. 

 

“Dude, this woman is dead, what makes you think that she could still be a problem?” Sam asked.

 

“Sammy, the obvious, she was a woman who according to the pictures liked jewelry. What if a piece of that was cursed? I mean we didn’t have any reports on her until just a couple of years ago and nothing related to her or about anything connected with her before that.”

 

“Good point. The question remains as to how much of her personal effects went into the grave and how much is still in her home?” Theo asceded.

 

They drove on for several more miles while Sam’s laptop greedily sucked power from the car battery only to have it replenished through the various mechanisms of the alternator and generator. 

 

It was going on into early evening when they pulled into Oklahoma City; they quickly found a base of operations in a local Day’s Inn motel. Sam got his laptop back up and running while Dean and Theo went out scouting out the local newspapers. Dean showed back up in the room several minutes later with not only a newspaper but some beer as well. Sam looked at it like a snake for a moment and then concentrated back on his searching and pulled up some pages with sigils outlined, he found a couple of some interest that he pointed out to Dean. 

 

“This one is some kind of new agey symbol for the Celtic God Tarannus who was a thunder god. Then there are all the sigils that exist for Thor and Woden among others.” 

 

Theo came in a few minutes after carrying a box under his arm as well as a newspaper in his hand. He shrugged and looked at them. “I went to Walmart and checked there they usually have all the local stuff. Plus I picked this up for you Sam.” He sat the box down on the bed revealing a small but efficient printer.

 

“Excellent! I’ve been meaning to do this but keep putting it off. Hell we’ve never stayed in one place long enough on the road for me to think about this.” He hurriedly unpacked the device and hooked it to his laptop. After a moment he tried it out and printed out a couple of different shots of Kim Long. Both of them recent photos thankfully. 

 

Then Theo took a look at both pictures. “We need an older shot of her.” He mused a moment then went on, “Something to give us a before shot, because I think that she’s going through some serious changes to get to this spot. 

 

“Okay, we got an address of where she lived at last, in the morning let’s make that our first order of business.” Dean offered. 

 

“Why not now? You’re usually hot to get right onto these cases.” 

 

“Hey Sam, she ain’t getting’ any deader.” Dean said caustically. “It can wait a while longer.”

 

“Ok but don’t bitch to me about a cold trail.” Sam said with a smile.

 

Dean shook his head his eyes closed a moment. “Sam, I just wanna stop for a bit. Is that too much to ask?”

 

Sam and Theo traded a worried look. “Of course not man, what’s bugging you?” 

 

Dean sighed and sat on the bed across from them, “God is Shurley or a fraction thereof. Shurley has been writing books that are based dead on with our lives. That it gained a cult following around 08 isn’t a major surprise. But that cult following is still prevalent. It’s as if something’s feeding it and in return either directing our path or our path is writing these people’s fix.” Dean ran his fingers through his hair mussing it severely. “I don’t know there’s just … and now the talk about retiring.”

 

Sam looked at him curiously. “You want to go on, not retire, that’s it isn’t it?” 

 

Dean looked at him shamefaced.

 

“And you don’t know how to talk it over with us.” Theo added.

 

Dean’s head hung a little lower. 

 

Sam laughed lightly. “I sort of figured that this would come up, and while I’m not surprised, I just want to know if this is what you really want? I mean, for years, part of you wanted nothing more than a simple apple pie life, you tried that and didn’t like it.”

 

“You can stop any time now.” Dean said a bit perplexed.

 

“Dean, I just want what you want. I can go on, I’m not tired of the hunt. I just want us to be more selective in our hunts now. We can afford that.” Sam said looking at Dean closely.

 

Dean nodded raising his head, his eyes haunted. 

 

Sam was truly worried now. “Dean you’re scaring me and that’s not easy to do.”

 

Theo nodded, “I’m a little scared myself. Dean are you with us?”

 

And with that Dean’s eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped off the bed into the floor. Sam and Theo jumped up and grabbed him and gently lifted him back onto the bed. They laid him out and carefully checked him over. 

 

“How close are we to that address?” Sam asked Theo who was checking the mapquest on Sam’s laptop and then came up with an answer. 

 

“We’re about 5 miles out. And she basically was controlling something that was delivering death blows, plus there’s a reporter with a scoop on…” Suddenly Sam went limp and slumped against the headboard. 

“What’s going on here?” He mumbled.

 

Theo sprung from his place and placed his hands to Sam’s head and then to Dean’s. After a moment he nodded and stood away from them.

 

“I’ll be right back I promise.” He said and took a step and vanished, Dean continued in his unconscious state while Sam lay against the headboard of the bed weak and disoriented. Finally Theo showed back up and looked at them. He ran frantic fingers through his hair and finally looked heavenward. “Castiel” he asked.

 

“What’s the matter?” Castiel said coming up from beside him.

 

“We just arrived in the location city and suddenly they both went like this, Dean was talking a bit disjointed at first, Sam was commiserating, but there appears to be nothing…”

 

“There is something. I can sense it as well, it’s not affecting me directly. Perhaps a benefit of being an angel. But it’s a strong pull.” With that he was gone for a moment and then was back. “We’ve got a problem.” He walked over to Sam and clasped his head in his hands a moment then did the same for Dean.

 

They suddenly were alert and conscious shaking their heads as if to clear the fuzz from their brains.

 

“Dean, you are going to have a separate journey from Theo and Sam. Your job is over on Deacon Street. I’ll be with you, but it appears that Chuck Shurley’s computer has a new home and the owner is taking it from a showpiece to actually writing with it. What he is writing is not as patently strong as what Shurley wrote but it is enough to disorient you. You’ve got to go and either stop the writer or destroy the computer. I can help you but you must be the impetus.”

 

Dean looked at him a moment, “Whoa back up a minute, you mean that Shurley’s computer is still even able to operate. It’s an antique.”

 

“Dean it would be as if someone managed to get one of the legal pads that Hemmingway used when he wrote. The principle is that the item is charged with some of the power of the individual in this case a fraction of God’s own person was operating through Shurley, thus the computer will have been extremely well touched by power. It has to be destroyed or the author be forced to quit writing on the system.”

 

“Do we know who?” Dean asked. Sam and Theo sat forward now.

 

“Margaret Jackson, 17429 Deacon Street.”

 

Dean pulled out a phone book from the bedside table and flipped through the pages his finger tracing the names. 

 

“You sure about this?” Sam asked. 

Castiel gave him a cold look. 

 

“I’m sorry Cas, but this is like toying with our lives on a major scale.” Sam added. 

 

Castiel sighed and shook his head, “Nothing is ever simple in cases like this, had I known that that computer would have been embued with that power, I would have destroyed it earlier. 

 

Dean cross referenced another address and called a number.

 

“Hello” a pleasant female voice answered.

 

“Ms. Jackson, Margaret Jackson?” Dean asked.

 

“That’s correct and you are?”

 

“Ma’am there’s not a clear way to say this, I’m Dean Winchester.”

 

“Please don’t prank me, it’s late and I’m hardly in the mood.”

 

“This isn’t a prank it’s really me, and I would like to meet with you tomorrow at Starbucks at Phoenix Center Mall. I’ll be there at 10:30 would you please come and meet me?”

 

“Very well, I play this game, how will I recognize you?”

 

“You know what I look like from the artwork of Chuck Shurley’s novels.”

 

“Well yes, in fact, I have a piece of original cover art that I got at the last convention.”

 

“Then you know what I look like. To make it easier for you I’ll be dressed in jeans and a leather bomber jacket. You’ll know, come in carrying one of Shurley’s books and I’ll flag you down.”

 

“This better not be a hoax or something, I know some security people over there.”

 

“Bring whoever else you want to just please meet me over there and Margaret…do me a big favor, shut down Shurley’s computer.”

 

“How did you know?” 

 

“I knew Chuck Shurley and I kind of followed where some of his stuff ended up, I was looking at buying that myself when it went up for auction, just never got around to it.”

 

Now Margaret’s tone was less suspicious and more conciliatory. 

 

“I had a technician look it over and clean it up for me. I’ve just started writing a bit of fiction on it.”

 

“Please can you just take a break from that until we meet tomorrow?”

 

She sighed heavily now, “Ok, just to humor you I’ll stop writing on it. But if you’re pulling my leg I’ll have the law on you.”

 

“I promise, no leg pulling. Good night.”

 

“Goodnight.” She said hanging up the phone. 

 

Dean looked at Sam, and nodded, “Ok, I’m starting to feel more like myself.”

 

“Well this is a new twist in events.” Another voice said, Castiel whirled and then bowed deeply.

 

“My lord.” 

 

“Tsk, none of that right now, we’ve bigger fish to fry.” He walked over to the bedside and looked at Sam and Dean, “You boys have had a right bugger of a time with all this haven’t you?” 

 

“Yes sir.” Dean said respectfully. 

 

God reached into a coat pocket and pulled out a CD in a case and passed it to Dean. “When you get to the computer put this in it and play it that will remove all traces of myself from the system.”

 

“God’s a hacker?” Sam said quirking his lip.

 

“Mind out lad.” God said with mock severity and was gone.

 

Sam and Theo continued to check the newspapers when Theo looked up startled. “Here’s something.” He read out, “Estate Sale of the late Kim Long to be held Saturday, October 14th from 9am til 3pm all proceeds to benefit private charity.” 

 

“That’s just great what do we look for?” 

 

“Jewelry.” Dean said simply. “Whatever is causing this had to be from some kind of sigil or device, I doubt she’d use anything conspicuous in fact, I would bet that she wouldn’t even know that it was a sigil.”

 

Tossing the newspapers to one side Theo scooted onto the bed between the two of them. Then he purposefully snuggled down, drawing warmth from their respective bodies. Dean looked down at him.

“You okay baby bear.” He asked using a private nickname they had for each other.

 

“Sure papa bear, I’m just worried about you and about us, mama bear, he said to Sam. Sam reached over and gently brushed Theo’s silken bangs from his eyes. 

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Sam said reassuringly.

 

“Okay I guess I just needed to hear that.” Theo said smiling.

 

“An angel needing reassurance from a mortal? Are you sure you’re all right?” Dean asked his brow furrowed.

 

“Well I might need checking over. I mean these last few days have been interesting.” 

 

Dean reached down and undid a button on Theo’s shirt, and then Sam did another and so on until they had his shirt hanging loose on him. They each took a side and proceeded to nibble and kiss bared flesh, Dean giving little love bites now and then to spice up the action, Sam slow and loving. The mixture of the two was driving Theo to new heights and they just got started. Then before they popped his trouser button Sam and Dean knelt on each side of him and slowly undressed letting this fingers trace each other’s torso across Theo’s prone body. 

 

Theo watched in rapt attention, then they reached across and unfastened each other’s belt and pants they stood then and their pants fell away pooling at their feet. Stepping out of their clothing now only clad in a pair of boxers then knelt back by Theo and with Sam assisting Theo in bridging up by putting his hands at the small of his back and lifting, Dean pulled Theo’s trouser’s off of him and lay them in the floor. Then they carefully removed his underwear exposing his turgid cock that slapped against his stomach. 

 

Dean started nipping down his thighs and back up causing Theo to go rigid in pleasure. Sam leaned down and blew softly across his balls and then nuzzling the sack proceeded to take on nut at a time in his mouth, letting his tongue work its magic over the sensitive area. Dean came up now from his exploration of Theo’s legs and feet and started to work, sucking his cock while Sam continued to make love to his balls, finally Sam pulled away from that area and bent down lifting up under Theo’s knees. He knew was required and he pulled his legs up, requiring Dean to momentarily abandon the cock only to reacquire his target moments later. 

 

Sam bent down and slid in on his belly until he was face to arse with Theo, his tongue darted out and stabbed to Theo’s anal ring, and then darted again, causing moans and groans of ecstasy to come from his lips. Then Sam started a rhythm of quick, sharp jabs with his tongue followed by a lapping and loving caress then Sam sensing he was ready for more moved away from rimming him to positioning his cock over the hole, he was already oozing precome so it was not difficult to use that as a source of lubrication for the moment, Sam reached over the edge of the bed to his duffle and found the bottle of lube that he’d packed last. After generously lathering up his cock with the thick gel, he positioned back over Theo’s hole and slowly entered, grabbing his shaft as he did and work it in a circular pattern.

 

The sensation doing exactly what he wanted, Theo was rolling and moaning completely wanton in his lust. He pressed down forcing himself to accept more and more of Sam’s cock. At the same time luxuriating in the feel of Dean’s mouth on his sex. They were manipulating him in wondrous ways, bringing him to new heights with quick deft and somewhat brutal means. The mixture of hard and soft techniques was exquisite to Theo who definitely ate up being the center of the attention. 

 

Sam began to slowly love him in long strokes pulling nearly completely out while Dean continued to suck greedily on his dick, tonguing it delightfully and with utter abandonment. Then Theo let out a gasp and a yelp as he started to come, filling Dean’s mouth with his bittersweet essence. Dean gulped greedily and stroked his cock milking every drop out of him that he could. Dean finally pulled off the hypersensitive column of Theo’s self and then turned around and straddled Theo’s face finally putting his own turgid cock in reach of Theo who greedily took it and sucked, nibbled at the foreskin, and lashed Dean’s cock head with his tongue. Dean pushed up bridging his back until he and Sam were able to kiss.

 

They kissed deeply, their eyes opened and taking in each other’s expressions of love as they kissed. Sam was close now and picked up his pace just a little, sinking in as deeply as he could still kissing Dean. Then Sam’s eyes bulged wide and he shouted into the kiss as he came pumping his come deep into Theo. Dean on the other hand was already primed and ready and it didn’t take long for him to shout into a kiss with Sam and he came. They continued their stroking, thrusts, and sucking for several minutes until at last replete they lay down on the bed, scrunched together in a tight mass of sweaty male humanity.

 

“Did you plan that that way?” Theo asked after a long moment.

 

Sam laughed, ”Not really but it seemed like the right path to take at the moment.”

 

“I’m glad you did.” He sighed contentedly. “I love you both so much that sometimes I don’t know how to express it.”

 

“Well don’t go getting too mushy.” Dean griped without meaning it. “Love you too kiddo.”

 

They dozed off then after several minutes and slept together scrunched up on the bed in their tight mass, content.

 

The next morning they woke and Theo hit the showers first toweling off afterwards in the room and starting to dress while Sam and Dean took a shower together. They came out shortly thereafter looking at one another with renewed love in their eyes. They were dressed in short order and were soon down stairs in the restaurant attached to the motel having breakfast. After dining they checked with the motel and found a rental car agency close by and grabbed up a compact number for Sam and Theo who took off in their general direction while Dean killed some time in the motel and finally drove over to the mall and walked around a bit before finally settling in on the local Starbucks Coffee shop, he placed his order for a simple cup of black coffee and sat there sipping when a woman entered tagged by an obvious rent-a-cop she looked around a moment then locked eyes with Dean and dropped her purse and book. She picked up both and assured the security man that she would be all right walked over to the table.

 

“Dean?” She was short, her hair coal black, long and pulled back in a ponytail. She was slender and dressed comfortably not unlike the way Dean preferred, simple home-style clothing without any flamboyance. She sat down at the table. “You’re really him.”

 

“Yes, I’m sorry if that’s a disappointment.” He said with a charming smile.

 

“You even have the smile that he wrote about.”

 

“Can’t seem to get rid of that.” He said with a laugh. “I’m really Dean Winchester, my brother Sam is on another call in town or he would have been here with me.”

 

“And Bobby?”

 

“He’s was real as well, he passed on several years ago.” Dean said quietly.

 

“What is up with the computer that you were so stirred up over?” She asked getting to the point.


	4. Chapter 4

“At least you’re familiar with the fiction so I don’t have to go into detail, what you’ve read is the truth, Shurley wrote about us but without knowing about us until late in the game. Chuck Shurley was a prophet, is a prophet, hell I don’t know, I haven’t heard from him in some time. Anyway he wrote what his mind’s eye saw.”

 

“This is all too much I mean it’s all just a wad of fiction, I know reality from fantasy.” She said adamantly.

 

“I know you do and I know that part of you wants to accept this exactly as it is without any hoopla, and the other part is fighting it tooth and nail.”

 

“You’re not just whistling past the graveyard on that one.” She agreed with a soft smile. “What can I do for you?”

 

“Actually it’s more what I can do for you. You’re a writer, and from what I’ve seen of some fan fiction that bears your name a damn good one, you wrote all that other on another machine didn’t you?”

 

“On my laptop yes.” She said curiously.

 

“Can we go to your home, I’d really like to see this and talk to you more about this situation.”

 

“Okay, you follow me. Any tricks and …”

 

Dean held up his hands palms out, “No tricks I swear.”

 

They drove across town to a modest apartment house and he was let into her home. It was a quiet affair, done in comfortable tones, with her evidently a neatness freak he noted. Then he saw it, sitting in the corner and looking innocuous, Chuck’s old computer. 

 

“I’m not going to ask you to believe me on this, all I’m going to ask you to do is to power up that system and bring up the word processor.” He said smiling quietly. She shook her head and walked over to the small desk and turned the computer on, after what seemed ages it popped up to Windows, then she double clicked the icon for Word. “Open the story you were working on.” He asked. When she had done that Dean walked to the other side of the room and turned away from her. 

 

“Write me doing something, anything.” He heard the keys clattering and then he felt the compulsion and turned smiling his most charming smile at her.

 

“That’s really quite naughty you know. But for you.” He walked across the room with slow grace, her eyes were wide as saucers then she spun and typed something else on the keyboard. Just as suddenly Dean stopped and faced her, his face becoming fixed and his voice even. “Are you certain you want to know about that part of my life? It’s not pleasant telling. But here goes. I was in Hell for four months earth side, forty years in hell’s accounting….” 

 

“Please no more, Please!” She begged. Then she looked at him fear in her eyes. “What’s going on here?”

“Part of Chuck is still in that computer, what you write compels us to act. I’m not telling you what to write, I’m just asking that you please play this CD in the computer.” He pulled out the case. “It is designed by a higher power to remove the essence of Chuck from the system.”

 

“You’re telling me that whatever I write…”

 

“Yes, we are compelled to do, last night you wrote of me passing out, and Sam following close behind.”

 

Margaret nodded, “But Sam didn’t pass out, he just became semi-conscious.”

 

“Exactly. Please.” He asked again proffering the case. She took it and put it in the computer, after a few seconds he could hear the CD-Rom drive spinning up and the screen when blank for a moment then some soft music started playing. After a moment a short pause in the music. At the pause Dean doubled over for a moment, he held out a staying hand.

 

“It’s all right, I think.” He said trying to sound sure.

 

Finally the music ceased and the screen came back up looking normal. He looked at her and motioned her to the keyboard. 

 

“Write something totally outlandish for me to do.” He offered. She turned and clattered the keys, Dean merely stood there fixed in his spot, not feeling the least bit of compulsion. “Thank you, Margaret, thank you very, very much.” Dean said graciously. Then she looked askance a moment. 

 

“Dean, no one is going to believe this.” She said finally.

 

“Depends on how you word it.” He said with a grin. She walked over to her laptop and keyed it up and then activated the webcam. “Okay.” He said with another winning grin. With that he walked over to her they got down so both of them would be in the frame and she snapped a picture. “Do another one.” He urged as he turned at the moment of the snap and kissed her cheek. She gasped. The image though on the screen was Dean kissing her. 

 

She looked at him now her eyes filled with tears as she stood back from him. “So now you’re going to ride off in the sunset?” 

 

“Sort of, you’ve done me a big favor here and I can’t repay you as well as I’d like, but here’s something.”

 

He gave her a slip of paper with a number. “Call me sometime and I’ll give you some real stuff for you to write about, deal?”

 

“Oh yeah!” She said grasping and holding the number like it was a gold piece. “Thank you so much.”

 

“And if you like you, I, Sam, and our brother Theo can meet this evening for dinner. Won’t be too fancy, but it’s us.”

 

“That would be lovely. Where?”

 

He gave her the address of the motel and then kissed her again and left.

 

On the other side of town hours earlier, Sam and Theo were waiting outside of the address where the estate sale was to be held. They knocked and a man answered the door. 

 

“You here for the sale?” He asked pleasantly. “Won’t start for another hour.” 

 

Sam reached in his pocket and fished out a hundred and flashed it in front of the man’s eyes. “For all her jewelry.” The man’s eyes glittered at the prospect.

 

“Well I don’t guess it’d hurt to let you in.” He showed them into the house and over to a table that was littered with cheap looking and some expensive looking pieces. 

 

“Is this all of it?” Sam asked.

 

“Yeah, can’t imagine what you’d want with it.” The man observed.

 

“Wait a minute Harold.” A woman called from the side, “There’s this thing that was returned from the crematory.” She held out a necklace with a weird looking bit of art. “Yeah but that was what she was wearing when she died.” He noted. Sam flashed another hundred.

 

“Of course sentimentality has a price as well.” He said passing the necklace over. They stuffed all the jewelry into a box with the necklace that he was given last stuffed into his pocket. 

 

“Sure that we can’t interest you in something else?” The man asked.

 

Sam looked for a moment as he was boxing the last of the costume jewelry up and tilted his head, “What was her taste in books?”

 

An hour later and a small stack of books in the back seat, Sam and Theo were weaving their way back through traffic and on their way to the motel. Suddenly Sam had to slam on brakes as a car cut in front of him from another lane.

 

“Damn it!” He swore violently and managed to just miss rear-ending the car. He noticed that the car pulled off the main thoroughfare and into a side lot headed for a fast food outlet. 

 

“Hope you enjoy your greaseburger.” Sam called as they drove past. 

 

They were about a half mine gone when in his rear view mirror he saw the distinct flash of light and hear a crack that is associated with a lightning strike. He shared a quick look at Theo and then he yanked the necklace from his pants pocket. The pendant was bronze with some engravings on it. He was totally unfamiliar with the look but he knew the portent. This was something that he couldn’t afford ignore. They pulled over to the roadside a moment and then sighed, this was something that would have to be taken care quickly. They hurried back to the motel made a careful check of the phone book and then finding two possibles they went out to the first.

 

Skyler and Son’s Mortuary and Crematory was their first stop, upon entering they approached the staff management. Sam detailed what he required and that he was more than willing to pay for the service. The owner took them to the back of the mortuary and through a double set of doors further back to where they could hear the roar of a gas furnace running. The manager, Layton Skyler entered first and held the door for them. They stepped into hell.

 

Well, a contained version, lined up were three crematory ovens, two going full blast incinerating their respective charges, which caused Sam to shiver nervously. The third was being prepared to be used. 

 

“Hold up there a minute Nathan. Got a quick job for you. Open the vault.” The technician complied and Sam placed the necklace into the hot oven. “You’re sure about this.” Sam was asked and he nodded quickly. The manager hit another control switch closing and sealing the vault then the pressed the firing stud. There was a whoosh of flame catching an inrushing of gas and suddenly the small 3 x 5 inch window was bright orange with the flame that was rushing into the oven. Suddenly all around them they could hear lightning crashing, and thunder rumbling. “That storm sure came up fast.” Layton commented.

 

“Strange season for this type of stuff.” Theo commented. 

 

Then after about 10 minutes Layton hit the stud again shutting off the burners. He cranked the door open and they looked to see a small molten blob on the retort of the crematory oven. The thunder and lightning finally came to a halt about halfway through the cycle. When they came out from the back they were all startled to see and hear sirens coming onto the scene, the building next to the funeral home was devastated, several cars were ripped as if a giant hand had reach down and rended them, the funeral home itself suffered little damage, their sign was blown apart and one of the hearses was total scrap, but there was little else to condemn what had happened. 

 

Sam sat down with the manager in the office and presented his plastic. The manager ran the ticket. “I feel kind of guilty about taking this, I mean all we used was about 10 minutes of gas, there wasn’t any prep work or anything.”

 

“Please.” Sam said holding his hand out for the slip to sign. Layton passed it over and Sam gratefully signed the credit slip and then stood. They walked out into a stench of ozone, burning wood, rent metal, and God knows what else. Their little car suffered a slight bit of damage from a tree limb that fell on the trunk lid scratching the paint. Sam grimaced and they headed back to the motel. Theo was oddly pensive for a moment then he spoke.

 

“Everyone who is convinced that there is not a hell needs to experience being in the same room with one of those ovens for just five minutes.” Theo said shaking visibly.

 

“Why do you say that?” Sam asked as they entered the motel room.

 

Theo turned an ashen face on Sam, “One soul back there was heaven bound and already out of the body and gone, the other was hell bound and writhing in the fire of the oven in preparations for the trip.”

 

“I thought they had to go before the recording angel first.” Sam said now sickened slightly.

 

“Normally they don’t if they are decisive cases, sure cases, if they are in doubt then they do.” Theo turned away from Sam a moment, “I’m sorry I’m such a wuss.”

 

Sam took him by the shoulder and turned him around and into his embrace. “You’re our wuss and we love you drama and all.” Sam said kissing him then holding him as he trembled, his mind’s eye playing over the event again and again. “Just do me a favour and don’t mention that to Dean okay?”

 

“Uh that’s not going to happen.” Theo said firmly. “He’s got his own private memories about Hell, the last thing I want to do is wake them back up.”

 

There was a general sense of relief until Theo fingered some of the other jewelry in the box. 

“You know what this means don’t you?” He asked quietly. “We’re going to have to investigate every piece of jewelry she owned that looks remotely suspicious, and probably some that don’t.”

 

“Good point, just because we knocked that necklace off the list doesn’t mean that she won’t possibly have other pieces. As unlikely as that sounds.” Sam agreed. 

 

They were interrupted by the door opening and Dean walking in looking slightly the worse for wear. 

 

“Did you get Shurley’s computer hacked?” Sam asked.

 

“Yeah, not to major a problem in that one, it was just that well I had her demonstrate the power of that thing and boys, it’s not funny being compelled into a near sex act. That was the closest thing to rape I’ve ever experienced.”

 

“Not funny man.” Theo said grimacing.

 

“Didn’t mean it to be it’s just that, look no one likes being out of control of their body for any amount of time. I purposefully told her to write some statements and not tell me what they were. Enough of that though, did you have any luck with the estate sale.”

 

“Yeah, got a shitload of costume jewelry that we’re going to have to go through. One piece was destroyed that was the lighting rod, I just don’t know about the rest and we can’t take any chances that she just lucked into a piece that caused that.” Theo nodded toward the box. “Sam and I were about to start sorting through the lot.” 

 

“Good, I could use a break from thinking about nearly raping that woman.” Dean said as they dumped the box of jewelry on the bed. They got to work on the load and separated it into three stacks. The obviously cheap costume jewelry, then the possible pieces, plus two pieces that were definitely identified as having some kind of curse or action connected with them. The obvious costume jewelry they boxed up to discard later, Sam picked up a necklace of simple brass links with a pendant shaped like a crow in flight. 

 

“What’s with that one?” Dean asked. 

 

Sam looked up at him crossly, “Who said anything had to be up with it, I was just looking at it.”

 

“Cool, don’t get your panties in a twist over me just asking a question.”

 

“Well next time don’t ask stupid questions.” Sam shot back. Then caught himself and shook his head. 

 

“The fuck.” He stated. 

 

“I was about to ask you the same thing, what tripped your trigger?”

 

Sam slammed his hand holding the necklace down on the bed, “Nothing yet, but you’re punching all the right buttons.” Then Sam stopped and shook his head, and tried to let go of the necklace. “okay, a little help here guys.” He asked when he couldn’t open his clenched fist.

 

Dean grabbed his hand and tried to wrench his fingers from around the links of the necklace. All he succeeded in doing was having Sam yelp in pain as his fingers were latched tight to the links.

“Easy dude, you’re going to break my fingers at this rate.” Sam said shocked and a little perturbed. 

 

“What’s going on?” Theo said leaning forward and looking at the necklace then he touched Sam’s clenched fist. Sam recoiled and looked at him harshly. “Sam?” 

 

“Leave off there, angel boy. I’ll let go of this when I get damn good and ready.” He growled.

“Sam this is playing with your mind let it go now.” Theo said firmly and Dean grabbed at his fist again, only this time to have Sam’s other fist come up off the bed and catch him a solid hit on the jaw. 

 

“Dude I’m willing to look over that because you’re probably fucked up with that but hit me again…”

 

Sam snarled, “Leave me alone.” 

 

“Sam you don’t know what you’re saying please let go of the necklace.” Theo begged. 

 

Sam whirled on Theo, “Go to hell, oh wait we were there a few minutes ago. You were getting all in a twitch over that weren’t you?” Sam said with malicious intensity. Dean cast him a puzzled look.

 

“Sam we agreed not to discuss that.” Theo said cautiously. 

 

“Why, just because Dean’s got some fixation with Hell and oh how poor pitiful him was stuck there.” Sam said caustically. 

 

Dean finally managed to grab Sam’s fist again, while Theo grabbed his flailing other arm and with a look at Sam. “I love you bro, but you don’t have the first clue what you’re doing right now.” Dean said forcing his fingers around Sam’s fist and prying them backwards in an attempt to free them from the necklace.

 

Suddenly there was a sickening series of snaps and Sam screamed. His fist started turning purple from the bruising where the clenching muscles of his fingers succeeded in snapping the bone. The hand dropped open uselessly now; the necklace falling on the bed, Theo grabbed it up and threw it across the room. Then he grasped Sam’s hand and straightened the fingers setting the broken bone, ignoring Sam’s protesting screams. Then he stroked his hand twice and Sam’s screams tapered off to a whimper and then a sickly pallor crept over his features as the last vestiges of the possession let go. Dean got up off the bed and grabbed a flask from his hip pocket; he walked over to the necklace and splashed some of the liquid on the piece of jewelry. The crow seemed to writhe like a live thing for a moment then the metal bubbled giving off a sickly sweet stench of decomposition. Dean opened two of the windows in the room and managed to get a cross-breeze going then using a straw from one of their soda cups managed to pick up the necklace. He opened his duffle and brought out a small sack of salt and scooping a hole in the center of the contents dropped the necklace in, and with a similar brooch. He covered the lot carefully and tied the bag securely shut. Then he looked up at Sam who was looking around for a moment stricken faced. His mouth was working as if he wanted to say something but he was unable to vocalize a sound for the moment. 

 

“Shh,” Dean said comforting him. “It’s over, that shit’s been put down.” 

 

Sam looked shamefaced for a long moment and then stared down at his hand. “I’m sorry, I can’t understand what happened.”

 

Theo looked at the bag of salt sitting across the room. “Obviously that necklace was designed to heighten anger.”

 

“It did that right enough.” Sam said clenching and unclenching his hand. “Dean I hate to sound this way but could you please get rid of that. I don’t mean to sound squeamish but I don’t think I can sleep in the same room with it.” Dean nodded and walked over to the bag, picking it up by the drawstring and then he carried it out of the room. He was gone several minutes and finally came back in sitting down on the bed next to Sam. 

 

“You okay now?” He asked.

 

“Yeah, look man I didn’t” Sam started.

 

“I know, look we’ve been the subject of so many cursed objects over the years that I’d be surprised if something like that didn’t up and bit you on the ass.”

 

“I’m really sorry about that hell comment.” Sam said morosely.

 

“Yeah I was going to ask you about that, what did you mean by what you cut about Theo?”

 

“Dean it’s nothing important.” Sam tried to slough it off.

 

“Obviously it’s a little important and it has something to do with my time down under.” 

 

“Dean it’ll serve no purpose now.” Sam said tiredly. 

 

Dean looked at him a long moment and finally nodded, “Ok, I can leave it at that…for now.”

 

The three shared a look for a moment then Sam looked at Theo and Dean with something akin to desperation. “Can we leave here? Tonight?” 

 

“We got a dinner date but sure if that’s what you want.” Dean said puzzled.

 

“Are you feeling all right?” Theo asked.

 

“I’m not too sure, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this place. Something’s poking at me and it’s not good.” Sam said unsurely. 

 

Theo reached out and stroked Sam’s cheek a moment. The he looked at Sam carefully his eyes fixed for a moment on Sam’s.

 

“Theo what’s wrong?” Sam asked after a moment’s contact.

 

“You just felt different. That’s all.” 

 

“How different?” Dean asked.

 

Theo stared at Sam again for a moment, “It’s as if he were split and part of him was not here with us.”

 

Sam shivered and then looked back at Theo, “Let’s load up.” Dean looked at both of them then nodded. It didn’t take them long to load and Dean dropped the key on the bed when Sam crumpled to the floor, teeth clenched, eyes squeezed shut as if to close out a mental image of something horrid. 

 

“We’ve got to go now.” Sam said rising and weaving. Theo bent double and hefted Sam up over his shoulder and then motioned to Dean. 

 

“Let’s go. Now.” They hurriedly loaded Sam into the back seat of the Impala and Dean pulled away from the motel just as the sun was setting. Theo was in the back seat with Sam who lay on the seat moaning in pain. 

 

“What the matter with him Theo?” Dean asked quickly as he threaded through traffic.

 

Theo shook his head, “Part of him is not with us any longer.”

 

Dean looked angrily in the rearview as Theo tried to sooth the other. “You’re talking in riddles again.”

 

Theo looked up quickly, “Dean, the only thing I can figure is that that necklace was siphoning off a small portion of his soul.”

 

“Which is…” Dean prompted. “Please say heaven.”

 

“It’s back in the pit; it’s punishing him it was a corrupt judgment of him for his releasing Lucifer.” 

 

“How could a necklace…?” 

 

“I’m not sure man, but I am sure of this, there is part of Sam that’s in hell and is on the wheel.”

 

Sam started to thrash in the seat; Theo knelt in the floorboard and hauled Sam’s legs around to lay him out on the bench seat. Now Sam started to groan, then plead and finally to scream in agony. Dean knew that scream and it tore at his own soul to hear it. 

 

“Pull over Dean.” Theo commanded as he used some of his angelic power to calm Sam. Dean pulled to the shoulder of the road. “Oh God, please give me the strength to do this.” Theo prayed. Then in a flash of light they were in their driveway in their home in Idaho. Theo was crumpled in place in the back seat. 

 

“Dean, get Sam and get him in the house.” Castiel ordered appearing in the front seat. He opened the back door and touched Sam’s forehead, his vision cleared slightly as he looked up at Castiel.

 

“Cas?” He managed weakly. 

 

“Dean’s going to help you in, and then we’ll work on you there. Dean, keys.” Dean handed him the car keys while he managed to get Sam up and walking. He came quickly up behind and opened the house up giving them immediate access. Dean guided a sleepwalking Sam into the bedroom and lay him on the bed. 

 

Then lay the salt bag next to Sam, then he disappeared only to reappear a moment later carrying an unconscious Theo. He carefully laid him out on the bed as well. His colour was pale and his face cold to the touch. Castiel wore a look of deep concern for him but turned his attention to Sam for the moment. 

 

Sam began to clench and groan, his moaning picking up a fevered pitch and screams starting to burble from his throat. Castiel waved his hand and it was as if there was a bubble around the room, the pressure pressing in on their ears. Then he turned his attention to Theo who was barely breathing. Castiel bent down and kissed Theo full on the mouth, exhaling his breath as he did so. Theo came awake with a start and looked up wide eyed at Castiel. 

 

“Castiel, you know what that costs you.” Theo gasped. Then lay back his strength ebbing and flowing with his respirations.

 

“It was required.” Castiel said flatly. 

 

“What can we do to make Sam whole?” Theo asked. Dean in the meantime was busy trying to calm his flailing brother. 

 

“You can both back off.” Crowley said entering the room. Theo, Castiel and Dean looked murderously at the demon lord. 

 

“Crowley.” Castiel said his tone flat and angry his hand coming up. 

 

“Don’t even think it if you want to see Sam’s soul returned to him.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Dean said his brow furrowed. 

 

“He picked up the corbie necklace?” Crowley said as if he had been present all along.

 

“Corbie necklace?” 

 

“The necklace with the crow in flight.” Crowley said simply and with little patience.

 

“Yeah why?” Dean asked.

 

Crowley smiled with mixed emotions. “That necklace was designed to focus anger and make it a formidable power and would have worked except Sam’s not entirely human any more. You want him whole, and I want his soul out of hell. We each have something the other wants. But I want something in return.”

 

“You dare attempt to strike a bargain here demon.” Theo said rising from his place on the bed. 

 

“Oh it’s nothing that Dean can’t afford to spare.” 

 

“You cannot have his soul.” Castiel growled.

 

“Been there laddie, Alastair had a blast training Dean, and frankly he’s spoiled goods at least for me. But Sammy now, ah he’s ripe.”

 

“Let him go Crowley.” Dean started to stand. 

 

“Certainly when you do a favor for me.” Crowley leaned against the dresser on the other side of the room. “Bring to me a circlet, simple enough for even you boys to accomplish. Do that and I’ll release him.”

 

“What circlet?” Dean asked crossly.

 

“It’s bronze with prancing ravens engraved in it. Right now it’s in a display in your country, and shouldn’t be that difficult for you to lay your hands on.”

 

“Why is it important to you?” Theo asked. 

 

“That’s my business boy, and none of yours. Do this for me and Sam will be freed, don’t and Sam remains as he is. Open that accursed bag.” Crowley said pointing to the salt sack. Dean wandered over and did just that, “Get out an earring.” Dean complied and cleaned the salt off of it. Then handed it carefully to Crowley who walked over beside a thrashing Sam. Crowley bent down and Sam cried out in terror and then went silent, when the demon pulled back the earring was piercing Sam’s right ear lobe. 

 

“That will keep the worst of the situation at bay, but it won’t work forever, I’d say you have about a fortnight to do what I set you out on then Sam will return back to that state, and the only release for him will be death.” Crowley said with finality.

 

“Some release,” Dean said, “He dies you get the whole soul in hell.”

 

“What makes you think that?” Crowley groused.

 

“You don’t?” Dean asked.

 

“You have no control over what the recording angel does.” Castiel reminded the demon lord. 

 

“Get me the circlet or he goes mad, simple as that.” Crowley said and disappeared. 

 

Dean looked at the other two for a moment as Sam lay there peacefully for the moment. 

 

Theo looked at them, “So what do we do?”

 

Dean looked away disgustedly. “I become a jewel thief.” Dean said looking at them.

 

“Dean, there is no need to commit theft.” Castiel said quietly. 

 

“So what, you and some angels gonna magic his soul out of hell? Like you did me!” Dean was exasperated now.

 

Sam slowly roused himself from the torment and looked at Dean with haunted eyes. He started to sit up then fell back down on the bed with a groan. He looked up at Dean his eyes brimming, and then overflowing and he lay there for the next hour intermittently crying and shivering, then shaking, once through that cycle it started all over again. Sam and Theo lay with him to keep him still. In the midst of all the he had a moment when he looked at Dean then gripped him in a hug and held on. Theo smoothed his hair while Castiel stood by helplessly. 

 

After a brief pause Castiel nodded perceptibly, the lay a hand on Theo’s shoulder. The young angel took a look back at Sam and Dean then climbed out of bed. He and Castiel stepped into the hallway and finally the kitchen. Castiel talking in subtle undertones.

 

“Do you remember what Dean showed you many years ago in his mind, the time when he relived Hell for your knowledge?” Theo nodded numbly. “That is what Sam is experiencing now. Part of his psyche is on that rack in Hell being tortured. We need to work together on this and we may get in trouble for our efforts.”

 

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take Castiel. Tell me what we need to do.” So they schemed while back in the bedroom Sam looked, after a long moment at Dean.


	5. Chapter 5

“Help me up please.” Sam asked. 

 

“What do you need? I’ll get it for you.” Dean offered. Sam smiled wanly. 

 

“Bathroom.” Sam said weakly.

 

“Oh ok, come on.” Dean stood and waited while Sam turned stiffly and rose off the bed, walking as if his feet were on live coals. He relieved himself, looked in the vanity mirror at himself and saw the earring and laughed.

 

“Well at least it’s in the right ear. Pun intended. But why?” He reached up to take it out and doubled over in a spasm. “Ok I’ll not do that again.” He looked at it closely and then gingerly walked back to the bed and lay back down. 

 

“So what do you have to do?” Sam asked.

 

“Huh?” Dean asked.

 

“Don’t huh me, I know when some shit is afoot and this is serious, you’re going to have to do something what is it?” 

 

So Dean told him of Crowley’s visit and what exactly was wrong and what would be required to set it aright. He looked at the bedroom door. 

 

“I take that Theo and Castiel are plotting now?” Sam said quietly. Dean shushed him smoothing his bangs back from his eyes. 

 

“Probably. Just rest for now.” Dean said with some finality. 

 

“So where do you have to go to get this circlet?” Sam asked.

 

“University of Boise Anthropology Department, they are hosting a showing this month of some artifacts from a dig in Southern Scotland.”

 

“Figures that Crowley would want a Scottish or Irish relic. Fucking bastard. When is the heist?”

 

“Don’t know.” Dean answered truthfully, “I need to go down first and case the building it’s displayed in.” 

 

Sam grimaced which caused Dean to go silent for a few moments. He spent those moments carefully looking at Sam. “It’s okay.” Sam said reassuringly. “I don’t think I’m freak like that again tonight, but I’m going with you when you case this joint.”

 

“Sam you’re in no shape…” Dean started.

 

“I’m in no shape to do a lot of things but I do ‘em. I’ll be fine. If this is something that Crowley is requiring us to do then by God let’s do it right.” They lay then together until Theo finally came back and rejoined them. Nothing was said; Sam just shifted a little to give Theo extra room as he lay down with them. 

 

“Castiel left for the evening. He wants to check on something and said that he will be back in the morning.” Theo provided.

 

“Sounds like a winner.” Sam said with a grin. 

 

“You gonna be all right?” Theo asked concerned. 

 

“Yeah.” Sam breathed.

 

“Liar.” Dean commented. 

 

“Probably.” Sam responded. Then he looked at Theo, “It hurts but I’ll make it. I’ve got to.” 

 

They waited until well into the next day then went to the reception that was being held in the University Conference Center with the items being exhibited. They were all dressed immaculately to blend in with the crowd, it was ironic but Theo moving the most natural of the three of them, Sam moved with a fluid grace while Dean trudged along. They finally came to the one glass covered display and saw it, a pitted and tarnished circlet of silver, with not only ravens in a stalking pattern around the edge of the artwork, but what looked like small chips of gemstone set in the silver work as well. It took everything in Dean’s arsenal of control to keep from reached out grabbing the circlet from the stand and making a mad dash for it. As it was he looked around the area and saw that the display was being walked by security agents as well as state police. They grimaced at the overblown security and accepted proffered glasses of wine from the waiters. Sam had a fixed smile on his face which looked fixed. Dean drew him aside. 

 

“What’s the matter?” 

 

“Echos.” Sam said cryptically. Theo walked up and touched his arm as in a common gesture and his face relaxed noticeably. Sam nodded to Theo, “Thanks, I owe you big time for this. If we make it out alive, you’re getting an extended disciplining session.” 

 

Theo laughed lightly, “Anyone else would be scared at the prospect.”

 

Sam smiled warmly at him. “You’re not anyone else.” 

 

They circulated for several more long minutes and managed some credible small talk with some of the alumni of the university then left for that part of the evening. They drove out of range of the conference center. 

 

“It’s going to be a bitch getting in there.”

 

“Dean, Sam,” Theo started. “Stay right here, I’ll be right back. Oh shit I’m probably gonna catch hell for this.” Theo winked out of existence and was gone for several long minutes. Sam in the meantime doubled over in the seat. 

 

“Sam!” Dean said alarmed. 

 

“Oh God Dean, it’s starting all over again.” I bowed backwards and opened his mouth in a soundless scream. “It’s not as bad, but it’s like being tortured without the pain. And I would almost prefer the pain to the images that are running rampant through my mind.” He managed to gasp as one point. Then Theo appeared in the car. 

 

“Drive.” He ordered.

 

“What!?” Dean asked cranking up the car and putting it in gear. 

 

“Just drive damn it.” He did and suddenly the night sounds of silence were broke by the sounds of sirens. Dean was on the interstate in minutes and on their way out of town. 

 

“Pull over. The old road.” Sam was tossed about in the front seat and he grimaced and seized at one point in pain and agony now. 

 

“Crowley!” Theo barked. 

 

“You rang.” The demon lord said appearing in the car and cursed floridly as the Impala jounced over the connecting road. Dean was about 10 miles back into the desert when he pulled up and stopped. 

 

“What’s up Theo, we had a plan.”

 

“Dean, you saw the set up, conventional plans would have resulted in your getting shot. So I did the next best thing, gave them an entirely unplausible theft to attempt to solve.” He then reached into his jacket and pulled out the circlet. Sam was now writhing in the front seat. 

 

“Give it to me and I’ll take care of Sam.” Crowley said holding out shaking hands. 

 

“No, you take care of Sam first, then we talk.” Theo demanded.

 

“You’re in no position to make demands angel.” Crowley growled.

 

“Oh I’m in the perfect position. Do it.” Theo said angrily. 

 

Sam was gasping on the front seat, his face mottled now, his eyes bulging. Crowley looked on dispassionately. 

 

“I could let him die.” Crowley said quietly.

 

“You could, and then you’d never get your hands on this. Because if you don’t restore him I’ll take this to a place you will never be able to enter to retrieve it.”

 

“You’d never.” Crowley dared.

 

“Five, four, three…”

 

“Okay you fucking sod.” Crowley shouted and grabbed Sam’s shoulder. He suddenly went rigid under Crowley’s grasp and screamed out a long and penetrating scream of anguish, then went still, his breathing was light and shallow but he seemed to be all right. They waited for several long moments and Sam finally pushed himself up in his seat and turned looking venomously at Crowley. 

 

“Thanks are expected I should guess.” Sam said harshly as he drew more ragged breaths.

 

“I don’t give a fuck for your thanks, I want that circlet.” Crowley said holding out his hands. Theo carefully placed the item into his hands. Crowley looked at the ring in awe and greed, then he vanished.

 

“Let’s get out of here.” Sam said finally.

 

“Not so fast.” Castiel said appearing in the back seat.

 

Theo hung his head tiredly. “I know why you’re here.”

 

Castiel looked at him askance. “You’re that certain you know my movements?” He said coldly.

 

Theo looked up now his face a mask of defiance, “What I did I did to save Sam’s soul, nothing more, nothing less, I’ve now got to face the angels and atone for my crime.”

 

“What you’ve got to do is you’ve got to get Sam home, drive Dean, now the other thing you have to do is explain to me why you gave him the circlet to start with, after all we had a plan set to operate.”

 

“Castiel, Sam’s need was immediate, besides, I felt the circlet when we were in the conference center earlier, there is no energy signal connected to it, it’s simply a circle of bronze. Besides now Crowley is going to have a headier problem to deal with than just owning a simple bit of bronze.” Theo said evenly.

 

“That circlet belonged to one of the hereditary chieftains of Scotland, someone slightly attached to Crowley’s village. According to legend the circlet was stolen from the brow of Finvarra, high King of Scotland and a Faery lord. Now Crowley is going to have to deal with an army onslaught from immortals.”

 

“All well and good but theft is theft. You will be made to answer for that.” There was a lurch as the car stopped. 

 

“Gentlemen I think we have a more prominent situation to deal with.” Dean said his headlights picking out a long figure in the road ahead. The shadowed figure walked around the car to Castiel’s side and tapped on the glass. Castiel rolled the window down and drew back stunned as the Lord himself leaned down to look in through the window. 

 

“You were very naughty tonight Theo, very naughty, we’ll deal with that situation later. Sam I take it you are better?” 

 

“Yes sir.” Sam said weakly from his place in the front. 

 

“Good, that’s the pressing matter.” Then to Castiel “Do not be too quick to chastise your brother, what he did was for a good cause, I lately heard about the situation and was going to intervene when I saw that you had matters in hand. Just don’t make this a habit.” 

 

“No sir, no habit.” Castiel said and then in a wink, the Lord was gone. Castiel sighed long and deep. Then looked back at Theo who was smiling slightly. “There’s no need for you to enjoy this so much.”

 

“Yes there is. Sam is whole again.” Theo reached up and stroked his fingers through Sam’s fine hair causing the man to shiver slightly. “Plus now there is a lock, no one can take a portion of his soul for a playtoy.”

 

“Well done.” Castiel said then he winked out.

 

“We can go now?” Dean said tiredly.

 

“We can go now.” Theo echoed. 

 

“Good, glad we got that settled.” Dean said sarcastically. He then put the car in gear and started off again. Suddenly Crowley appeared in the back seat again. Dean slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop. 

 

“Oh bloody hell, can you warn someone next time when you’re going to pull that shit.” Crowley said caustically. 

 

Theo suddenly was at the car door side where Crowley was seated and just as suddenly the demon was being hauled to his feet and made to face a very pissed off angel.

 

Dean and Sam shared a look, “Duck and cover.” They said in unison and dove for the seat bottom. 

 

In the desert behind the car Crowley was fuming. “You fucking blighter! I may not be able to touch you but I’ll put both Sam and Dean in the pit for this. You got a fucking armada of faery, flooding my domains.”

Theo pulled himself up and stared at the demon. 

 

“At one time I may have been upset by your taunting and your petty threats, but no more. You will not send Sam and Dean down to any pit.”

 

“So what are you going to do your bloody faggot.” Crowley said unimpressed.

 

“Just this.” He dropped all pretense and went to full reveal of his angelic form. His voice boomed in the angelic language. “Go and trouble these mortals no more. If you do we will face down I promise you. Now back to the pit with you.” Crowley screamed in rage and pain and vanished. He then walked around and got back in the back seat of the car and reached up tapped Dean’s and Sam’s shoulders. They looked up startled and sat up slowly. 

 

“You okay?” Sam asked. 

 

“Never better, can we go now, I’m starved.” Theo said with a grin. Dean shook his head and started the car in motion again this time gunning the engine and taking the farmers road at a faster clip than they were used to. It was a short trip back to Mountain Home and then to town. They went to the Gearjammer Truckstop and ordered their meal, Theo ordering the Truckers breakfast. 

 

“What’s got your gears turning?” Sam asked.

 

“Always famished after a good facing down like that, oh and by the way, Crowley will not be troubling us any more for a while.”

 

“You seem mighty certain about that.” Dean said when the waitress came bearing their platters. After they were served and Theo took a goodly bite of his omelet. He grinned, swallowed, and then nodded.

 

“Crowley just met a bigger bully on the play ground.” He sighed, “Man but I love flexing muscle like that.”

 

“So what of the circlet?” Dean whispered. “There’s going to be hell to pay over that. Literally.”

 

“Not to worry. Castiel whipped me up an exact duplicate that I will return to the display later tonight. I promise.”

 

“Shouldn’t we do that?” Sam mentioned.

 

“Not at all, I was the one responsible; I’ll take the blame for it.” Then Theo looked at Sam full on, “I’m glad everything worked out all right.”

 

“Yeah, I feel great, well not so great, tired and wrung out and my ear hurts like fuck.” He reached up and fingered the earring. “Still I kind of like the looks of it, what do you think?” He asked looking at Theo and Dean in turn.

 

Theo reached out and touched it with the tip of his finger, the stud turned from brass to gold, and the piercing in Sam’s ear healed up. He smiled, “I think it looks dashing, leave it.”

 

“What he said.” Dean said looking at the gold raven.

 

Sam looked into his reflection in the truck stop window and fingered the stud and grinned, the reflection grinning back, “I feel good, I feel really good.” 

 

“Oh you won’t be for long, you boys were useful, now that use is wearing thin. It’s time you were taught a thing or two about what I will and won’t do.” Crowley said to himself watching them from a safe distance. He bent down and drew a sigil in the dirt, then taking a dagger knicked his palm and let two drops of blood fall on the sigil. There was a sudden stillness in the air and a coalescence of an unseen entity. Crowley smiled broadly. “Lovely Nox, goddess of all sleep, I have a job for you tonight, I want you to…”

 

In the diner the boys paid for the meal and left with Theo stopping by the car and freezing stock still for a moment. He sniffed the air like a dog on scent and then looked around the lot. 

 

“We better get home fast, a demon was here.” Theo said getting into the back seat. Dean was true to form in that he got them home of a circuitous route and then when inside he checked the wards against demons. Satisfied, they met in the kitchen. “It’s just past 10,” Theo said, “We might want to man a watch.” 

 

“You don’t think Crowley will try something this soon?” Sam ventured.

 

“Sam…Demon.” Dean said flatly as if that settled matters. 

 

“Come on, we do better together in a pack, nothing supernatural can get past these wards, and when the alarm is set nothing natural will be able to get in either.” Sam said pointing towards the back. “Besides I don’t know about you boys, but I’d love a shower right now, I feel like 40 miles of rough road.”

 

They adjourned to the bedroom where they stripped with Sam and Theo heading into the shower. 

“You coming Dean?” Sam asked.

 

“Maybe later, there’s something on the air and I don’t like it. You two go ahead.” Theo nodded to Dean’s words and he and Sam walked into bathroom. In moments Dean heard the sound of water running and shortly the sounds to bodies entering the spray. Normally he would have been right in the middle of the action but for some reason he feel way too jittery for his own good. He sat back on the bed, yawning then he stretched out determined not to fall asleep but it was as if something were drugging him and dragging him into sleep. Once there he almost immediately started dreaming and the dreams were far from pleasant, he was back in hell, the eldritch flames were dancing in the distance, the screams of the tormented echoed off his ears, and his eyes beheld what he feared most in seeing, he was at the rack. It was every bit as archaic and medieval looking as the images the word conjured up. Shackles at the head and foot, a band to strap across the midsection and one across the neck, beside this gruesome antique stood a table with an array of tools on it from the most mundane knife to implements which made his skin crawl to look at. Then as suddenly he was no longer looking at them but was naked and strapped to the table. His eyes darted fearfully, he tried to scream, he wanted to wake, but there was something preventing him. That was when Bella showed up in all her gory, she was dressed impeccably from the waist up, the waist down was in tatters, and blood and gore. 

 

“Happy now Winchester? It’s been a while hasn’t it? Well I’ll just reacquaint you with some old friends here and then we’ll get down to business.” She walked over to a bucket at one end of the table and took an iron from the red coals that were within.

 

Her technique was horrendous in simplicity and grace, she drew the tip of the poker across Dean’s midriff causing him to wrench and try to flail. His screams didn’t seem to come close to touching her. 

 

Then she replaced the poker in the coals. “Mustn’t let the heat go to waste.” She said maddenly. Then she picked up a scalpel and walked over to the table. “Oh good, you’re sweating now, nothing like the natural salts of sweat in an open wound is there.” And just that quick she started making small oblique cuts in his torso and legs. And the torture was just beginning. 

 

“I feel almost guilty about being in here with all that Dean’s had to put up with from me.” Sam told Theo as they enjoyed the spray. 

 

“Don’t fret too much you know how much he loved to mother you.” Theo said with a grin. Just then they heard a sound like a soft moan. “Sounds like he’s started without us.” Theo mused. But his muse quickly changed as the moan rose to a shriek. “That doesn’t sound like pleasure.” 

 

They both ran out of the shower and dripping wet into the bedroom where they saw Dean writhing titanically on the bed. His body arching and his mouth opened in a scream. Sam launching to the bed trying to pin Dean down to keep him from flying off the bed. 

 

“DEAN! DEAN WAKE UP! COME ON MAN SNAP OUT OF IT!” Sam roared to no avail. Sam looked in stark terror as the way the tendons in his neck were distended and how red his face was from the grip of the nightmare. Theo walked over and grabbed Dean’s forehead. He immediately went limp, totally, completely limp, then he gasped and woke his eyes feral and haunted. 

 

“Oh God, Oh God.” Dean gasped. Then he broke into a cold sweat from the memory of what had happened. “No it can’t be starting again not after all these years.”

 

“What, Dean?” Sam asked.

 

“Hell.”


	6. Chapter 6

They were sitting up on the bed now, concern ripe in each set of eyes. Dean was shivering from the memories of things that his subconscious had dredged up and flashed in his mind’s eye. He grimaced and then rubbed his face a moment and nodded.

 

“Ok, there’s gotta be a reason for this, but I’ll be damned if I’ll search for it now. He looked at Theo and Sam. “I probably should go into the guest room to sleep, just in case.”

 

“Bullshit!” Theo said firmly. “That’s the last thing you need to do.” Sam and Theo were nearly dry now and snuggled down under the sheets with Dean between them. They clutched tightly for a long moment as they noticed sleep overtaking Dean again at an alarming rate. They let him go and followed his progression into the arms of sleep. It was less than ten minutes this time. The signals were soft moans and gutturals of denial, followed by a jumbled bit of speech in a tongue they couldn’t place. Then the thrashing started again only this time Theo was quicker to wake him. 

 

“huh, what!” Dean said startled as he came around then the images flooded his mind again. He buried his face in his hands weeping, another thing that was uncharacteristic for this Winchester. There was no preemptive sighs of despair or any other warning signs. He face simply crumbled and his bent forward weeping. It was several minutes before he showed signs of getting it under control but when he did his eyes were even more haunted.

 

Dean managed to be coherent through some of his sobs, “I was working the rack, I didn’t want to but I couldn’t stop myself. I was flaying a kid’s soul on the rack.” His eyes took a wild light for a moment, “He was maybe 16, don’t know how he ended up in hell, but there he was and there I was and oh God, first it was Bella torturing me, then me torturing some brat.” Theo reached up and rubbed soothingly at Dean’s temples. 

 

“Shh, be at peace Papa Bear, rest this time dreamlessly.” A small spark of light popped between Theo’s fingers and the temples and Dean was under. 

 

“What?” Sam asked his voice a whisper. Theo spoke in a normal tone of voice.

 

“Don’t worry, you won’t be able to wake him, he’s deep in sleep, beyond the physical realm of dreams. Someone or something is altering his dream state.” Theo said looking at Dean who now seemed to be at peace for the moment. Then he started writhing again this time trying to scream only managing a weak gurgle.

 

“That’s impossible, he is nowhere near the realm of sleep where dreaming is possible.” Theo said looked at Dean disbelievingly. Sam got out of bed and pulled a throw with a hex circle on it from under the bed. He placed some candles from the dresser on the floor and lit them. Then he looked carefully over the situation trying to shut out the screams from Dean and the attempts that Theo was making at waking him. 

 

“I call, command, and conjure thee come into my circle, powers that assaulting this one, I call, command, and conjure thee come into this circle.” Sam started intoning the ritual when a darksome shadow hovered above the circle. 

 

“Mortal you amuse me with your toys and words, what purpose do you have in summoning me?”

 

“Why are you tormenting my brother.” Sam asked directly.

 

“It amuses me to do so.”

 

“Who are you?”

 

“I am called by many names but you may call me Nox. And before you even start, you pitiful powers are no use against me, and you angel boy are too busy with my handiwork to spare time to bother me.”

 

“Nox please, I beg you, release him.” Sam said eyeing Dean and then looking back at this circle.

There was a high girlish laugh, “You speak prettier that the one who caused all this. Perhaps for now I will. Perhaps.”

 

Sam’s eyes were tearing as he noticed that Dean had finally collapsed on the bed shaking and sobbing. 

“Please beautiful Nox, goddess of sleep, supreme in your artifice, release him.”

 

Suddenly her girlish laughter died, “you do not speak with a glib tongue nor one honeyed with false pretensions. So for now I will release him, but have a care mortal, I am not easily dissuaded in my hunt, and this man’s dreams are strengthening a dark one.” 

 

“Thank you, thank you.” Sam said prostrating himself to the circle. A puff of wind and the candle were extinguished and Nox was gone.

 

“I can’t, I can’t go through this again.” Dean said shaking his eyes haunted. “Someone is using the strongest moments from Hell against me.” 

 

Sam crawled into bed with him and gentled him both he and Theo soothed Dean’s shaking and quakes. Sam yawned now desperately fighting sleep as was Theo but soon all three of them were asleep, this time Nox coalescence appeared at the foot of the bed, her unseen face turning towards them. She studied them a moment and seemed almost to become lost in the moment. Then she turned towards an unseen force. 

 

“You shouldn’t have played this hand with me demon…” She vanished to appear miles away in a copse of trees where Crowley was standing nonplussed. 

 

“You’re shirking your duties.” Crowley said irked.

 

“And you are plotting me against one who hunts. HOW DARE YOU!” Nox’s shadowed form seemed to grow. “You are truly a novice if you think you can cause me to strike so.”

 

“You’ve already succeeded where I could not.”

 

“I can give him pleasant dreams.” Nox said coquettishly now.

 

“No, I forbid it.”Crowley said sternly.

 

“YOU forbid it! Beware demon, you tread against my good will at the peril of your sanity.”

 

“What can you do to one like me?” Crowley said with bravado.

 

“This.” Nox said quietly. Suddenly Crowley was on the ground writhing in exquisite agony, unable to vacate the body he was inhabiting, and unable to discorporate back to Hell. He was wrapped in her nightmare fog, all the petty works and taunts being paraded before him. Crowley screamed, then he was silent as she released her hold on him. “Summon me no more demon, else I will lock you in a timeless space where your most vivid dream will be your worst nightmare.”

 

She was gone then leaving a shaking demon lord behind for the moment, then he too vanished.

 

Sun rose on the Winchester household and they all stirred slowly waking from their various level of sleep. Dean woke after having several more vivid nightmares that night, he was exhausted as were they all, but his nightmares while they were of hell, he could break the hold. But at the same time he was paying dearly for that privilege. His eyes were bloodshot and his face gaunt. He lay there on the mattress between them trembling uncontrollably. 

 

“Let’s grab a shower Dean, then breakfast, then you’re going to the doctor.” Dean didn’t argue with what Sam was proposing, he was too weak to argue and too strung out. Theo helped him up out of the bed and together all three went into the shower and luxuriated in the steam for several minutes before cleaning and then drying off. Sam threw on a terry cloth robe and walked through to the kitchen starting the coffee maker, and turning on the stove to warm up the eyes for the griddle. He had picked up his Bluetooth ear piece from the table before he came into the kitchen. He quickly dialed a number.

 

“Dr. Prater’s answering service.”

“Sam Winchester here, I think if you look on your list you’ll see that we are approved for immediate access.”

 

“One moment Mr. Winchester.” Then “Connecting.” 

 

“Hello?” 

 

“Dr. Prater, Sam Winchester here. Sorry to catch you out this early but I need a favour.” 

 

“What’s up Sam?” 

 

Sam blew out his cheeks a moment then said, “Dean and dreams.”

 

“Not good ones I take it.”

 

Sam knew they were broaching territory which they’d not pursued with a doctor before. “Can you see us this morning? Please.” 

 

“Sure, call the office, I’ll bump my 11:00 up a bit and we’ll take a look at him.”

 

“Thanks Doc.”

 

“No thanks needed not after what you boys did for us.” The doctor said speaking of a hunt they’d performed at the Doctors behest. 

 

Sam got hotcakes cooking along with some sausage and eggs and soon had a full breakfast on, Dean picked at his for several moments until Theo reached out and touched his arm, they shared a look and then Dean smiled wanly and started to eat a little more. After several cups of coffee Dean was starting to become a little surer of himself and a little self-conscious over what he must’ve seemed like the night before. Sam looked up at the clock and saw that it was 10:30 so they killed a few more minutes before he stretched and gathered up the breakfast dishware and put it in the washer. 

 

“Let’s go into town.” Sam said spritely.

 

“We are in town.” Dean said tiredly.

 

“Walk, let’s get out and walk. God knows we could use the fresh air for a change.” They pulled on jackets and walked out into the crisp March morning. There was snow still in patches here and there, and in some yards that were well shaded, there was a blanket of snow to be seen. They took a longer way that what Dean was used to when they came out on the Doctor’s professional building near the hospital. Sam walked up to the door.

 

“What?” Dean said suspiciously, then, “You made an appointment for me didn’t you?” 

 

“Yep come on.”

 

He grumbled all the way into the waiting room, and was even grumpier when they were immediately shown back to an examination room. 

 

“All it was, was a nightmare. Simple enough.” Dean said gruffly.

 

“No Dean it wasn’t it was more than that. You hardly slept, and you were constantly waking from other nightmares.”

 

“How would you know?” Dean said looked accusingly at him then his anger faded to embarrassment. 

 

“Oh sorry, didn’t mean to keep you awake.” 

 

“Dean I had to wake you then relax you, I didn’t mind it, but you gotta admit that something big time hinky was wrong.”

 

The door opened and admitted a relatively tall thin, man in his 50’s. Dr. Prater walked over and looked at Dean and motioned to the examination table. Dean wordless sat down on the paper covered cushion.

 

“I’m keeping you from patients who really need your help.” 

 

“And they can keep a few minutes, tell me about these dreams you’re having?” 

 

“No.” Dean said firmly.

 

“Dean!” Dr. Prater said firmly as well. 

 

“Doc. There’s nothing to them that a shot of whiskey won’t cure.” Dean said.

 

“Oh yeah, do that and I can see me over at the hospital treating you for alcohol poisoning. Now the dreams.”

 

Dean slowly described some of the nightmares then the doctor held up his hand. “Okay you’re talking like this was a real place.” He said skeptically.

 

“About as real as that poltergeist that you had running rampant in your barn.” Sam said.

 

“Okay good point. All right I’ll concede that Hell as a place is a possibility. Have you done anything to give you this bird’s eye view of perdition?”

 

“I was there.”

 

“Yes in your dreams.”

 

“No doc, I was…this is going to sound fucking crazy…”

 

“Let me be the judge of that.” Prater said tilting his chin up.

 

So Dean proceeded to describe briefly his deal with the demon and his trip to hell courtesy of the hellhounds. 

 

“Anyone else was to tell me that and I’d have them admitted. But I know you better now. Okay, so you’re reliving your time there. I’m not even sure I want to know how you got out of there.” Then he turned from his patient and grabbed a prescription pad. “Verinol, 5mg, one before bedtime.” He said as he wrote. “Don’t worry this isn’t a sleeping pill per say, it’s a sleep aid in that it controls your dream functions. You should be able to sleep the night through without a problem.” Then he looked sternly at Dean. “You are to take these according to the label directions, so don’t go skipping a dose because you are feeling all ballsy. That defeats the purpose.” Then he stepped out of his office and came back in a few minutes later with a sample packet of the medication. “Until you get that filled. Now I want you to go home, take one now, and lie down for a while, try to sleep, God knows you look like you could use it.” 

 

The walk home was in somewhat offended silence. Sam tried several times to make conversation and then gave up. They finally turned onto the street towards their house and eyebrows quirked as they noticed a car parked in front of the house. A car unfamiliar to them, they walked on up and the driver’s side door opened and their angelic neighbor Bill stepped out. 

 

“Bill?” Sam said uncertainly. “Where’s Charlie?” He asked concerning the other half of that partnership. 

 

Bill looked drawn and gaunt already, asking only made him wince. Dean shook off his own feelings for the moment and grabbed Bill by the upper arm.

 

“Inside, come on.” They got in the house, went into the kitchen where Dean poured a stiff measure of whiskey in a glass for Bill, Sam got some beer out of the fridge for the rest of them. Bill took a look at the amber liquid, swirled it momentarily in the glass and turned it up killing the double shot in a gulp.

 

All three exchanged startled glances as Dean poured again for him. “We were in Wisconsin on a simple enough hunt, but someone was warned who would be hunting. We were ambushed by the vampire nest we were after and Charlie caught a bronze spike through the skull from behind. I wiped out the nest then by going nuclear on their sorry asses.” As he spoke his voice was firm, but he was crying silent tears.

 

“Oh man, we are so sorry.” Sam commiserated. 

 

“I checked with Michael and Raphael, Charlie never showed back up topside, so someone had access to an angel spike. Charlie’s dead.” He said sitting in the offered chair, Theo went ashen and collapsed into one of the other chairs. “I just got back in town about an hour ago, I was going to go on down to the house but this was as far as I could get. I just can’t go back in there right now.”

 

“No man, and you don’t have to, we have a perfectly good guest room here you are welcome to, you got your bag in the car?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Grab it, you can do your laundry here, and bunk here as long as you need to.” Dean said. The others agreed.

 

“So, talk to me about mundanities, please.” Bill asked.

 

They told of their recent hunt and subsequent finding of both the haunted jewelry and the God blessed computer. They outlined the hunt in great and glorious detail to try and do their best to take Bill’s mind away from the real time events. Then in a pause Sam reached over and rubbed Dean’s forearm.

 

“Dean I am sorry, I should have told you about the appointment with Dr. Prater.” 

 

“Yes you should’ve.” Dean said trying to keep his anger in check.

 

“What’s this about a doctor?” Bill asked. So they spoke of the recurrent nightmares that seemed to storm Dean’s psyche the night before. There was no detailing done as they’d given Bill and Charlie access to that part of their life years before. “So that’s why you look like 185 pounds of hammered shit.” Bill said with a ghost of a smile.

 

“You’re one to talk.” Dean retorted. “Shit man, we both…” He got up and poured himself a shot of the whiskey and sipped at his cautiously. Then he sat back down across from Bill and Theo with Sam at his side. “You know that old saying about Hell hath no fury?” 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

Dean took a deep sip on the whiskey “It’s a lie. A woman scorned is nothing compared to Hell on a good day much less a bad one.” 

 

“Here’s to our own private hells.” Bill said raising his glass and they all raised their glass and bottles in return. Dean kept his up a moment longer, “And God help those who get in the way of an avenging angel.”

 

Bill actually gave a weak laugh at that. He then looked at Theo who was starting to have some colour return to his features. “Didn’t mean to put the wind up you like that, little brother.” 

 

Theo looked at Bill for a long moment, “Just trying to wrap my head around a nest of vamps getting their hands on a spike.”

 

“Yeah that’s got me asking some questions as well. I just haven’t been in the best frame of mind lately to think too long on it.” Bill acknowledged. 

 

“Don’t worry, take all the time you need.” Theo said looking at him.

 

“Yeah but I’m going to have to go back down to the house sometime.” Bill said his face sagging again.

 

Dean nodded, “Yes you will but not tonight and not tomorrow, maybe not the rest of the week, but when you do go down we’ll go down as a group. You don’t need to do this alone.”

 

“Thanks.” Bill commented. Then Dean yawned uncontrollably, setting off a chain reaction of yawns. He finally stood, and looked at the others.

 

“I had to be a party pooper but I think I’m going to take the doc’s advice and try to get some rest.” He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the sample packet of Verinol and popped one of the pills from the protective foil. He got a glass and some water and knocked the tablet back. 

 

“What about you Bill? You look done in yourself.” Dean asked.

 

“A little sleep wouldn’t hurt, I’ve had maybe 4 hours in the last 36.” He got up from the table and weaved a little. “I’m a cheap date as well. Hell, a double shot and a half in me and I’m wobbly.”

 

“Go to bed. We’re going to go lay down as well, you know where the stuff is in the bathroom, and the kitchen, make yourself at home.” Sam said rising from the table as well.

 

“Thanks guys, I do appreciate this.”

 

“Only hunters know.” Dean said flatly and then started back to the bedroom, kicking off his shoes he stretched out on the bed fully dressed, Sam and Theo went in and Bill went into the guest bedroom. Sam lay down next to Dean and caressed his cheek. “I really didn’t mean for that appointment to go like it did.”

 

“Aw you’re probably right for doing it like that, I’d never have gone on my own.” Dean admitted. Then yawned again. Theo and Sam curled up with him and soon all were asleep. Thankfully the drug did just what it was supposed to do and Dean was able to get about four hours of undisturbed rest, when he woke he found that Theo was still in bed with him but Sam had got up. Dean rolled onto his back waking fully now, Theo stirred and cracked his eyes open looking around a moment and then he settled on Dean. 

 

“You slept.” Theo said with some surprise and pleasure.

 

“Yeah, amazes me as well.” Dean said as he started to sit up. “Though I’m not going to start a cheering committee yet, just because I slept a bit without those friggin dreams don’t mean that I’ll get off light tonight.”

Dean and Theo rose from bed and went through to the kitchen where they found Sam with his laptop at the kitchen counter doing some research while at the same time checking on the grill in the back yard. Satisfied they watched as he grabbed up a pan with several sirloin cuts and went out to put them on the grill. Dean grinned then grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. He killed about half the bottle in a gulp.

 

“Cotton mouth?” Theo asked.

 

“Severe.” Dean answered then went out on the back deck. Sam heard the door swing open and he looked around and grinned as well. 

 

“Looks like someone slept well.” He commented.

 

Dean shrugged a bit, “Like I told Theo, I’m not going to start cheering yet, at least not until I see how this evening goes.”

 

They stood on the back deck just enjoying the late afternoon when they turned and looked through the kitchen window to see Bill and Theo talking. Dean started to head back in but Sam grabbed his sleeve.

 

“Let them talk a bit. Bill needs the ear of his own kind for a few minutes.” 

 

Dean nodded and looked back to see them embracing. “Yeah, I keep forgetting the he and Theo are sort of superhuman types.”

 

“We’ve lived so long together it’s no wonder.” Sam said checking the steaks then closing the lid the picked up the bottle of water Dean had grabbed and took a drink from it as well. “I’ve been doing some research, those stakes are turning up in the news now.”

 

“Stakes, as in multiple?” Dean asked.

 

“Yeah, they’re not a page one item, mostly they are buried in the news. And it would appear that at least one has been used in a murder in New Hampshire.”

 

“Not good.” Dean mused. “So what do we do start harvesting these stakes?”


	7. Chapter 7

“That would be a good start.” A voice said from behind. Sam and Dean turned around and saw that Castiel had joined them on the deck he too looked through the window at Theo and Bill who was still embracing Theo, so that put to rest what was happening there. 

 

“Grief is a powerful emotion.” Castiel mused quietly. Then he turned his attention to Sam and Dean. 

 

“Don’t worry about the stakes so much for right now, they are out there and we have teams dispatched to retrieve them. It looks like we might be facing a new set of problems.” 

 

Dean closed his eyes a moment and then opened them looking directly at Castiel, “I was hoping for some time off.”

 

“I understand, I’ve received word about the interference of Nox in your lives. I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do regarding that. She is as old as Death and as immutable.” Castiel sighed. “No we have an item of power that has gone missing from the vaults. It would be useless in the hands of mortals, unless the mortal is endowed with psychic abilities to activate it. But the activation could lead to some catastrophic results.”

 

“What exactly are you talking about, oh great befuddling one.” Dean asked sarcastically.

 

“The Rod of Moses.”

 

“Wait, you mean the actual staff, what he used to part the Red Sea and the one he turned into a snake?” Sam asked.

 

“That’s the one.” Castiel looked out over the back yard again, “We have a lead as to where it might be but it’s not being used right now, when and if it is it will give off a signal which will alert every angel within a parsec of Earth.” 

 

“I take it that this is a bad thing then?” Dean asked then waved the obvious away, “Wait this is the same staff used to bring on the plagues over Egypt, of course it’s a bad thing.”

 

The back door opened then, Bill and Theo stepped out on the back deck, Bill’s eyes red and swollen slightly. He was carrying several beers. 

 

“I figured that this might be a welcome addition.” He said smiling wanly. Dean looked at him a moment and their eyes met in commiseration but nothing spoken for which Bill was thankful.

 

“Yeah I was getting dry and the water just ain’t cuttin’ it.” Dean said reaching for a bottle. “So, did you sleep well?” 

 

“Hell yeah, my head hit that pillow and I was out like a light.” He said with a grin. 

 

“Trouble sleeping?” Castiel asked. 

 

Bill eyed him momentarily. “Yeah something about losing your partner does that to a guy.”

 

Castiel nodded soberly. “I understand and I’m sorry for you. I know how close you and Charlie were.” 

Then Castiel looked up a moment, “Be patient however, God may decide to resurrect him.”

 

Bill shook his head, “I’m not getting my hopes up, that way I won’t be disappointed.” Then after a moment he looked at Sam then Castiel, “So the rod of Moses is up for grabs?”

 

Sam looked askance at Castiel for a long moment. “How urgent is it to find this rod of Moses?”

 

Castiel looked at Sam his eyes widening minutely. “Sam this is not a matter for humor.”

 

Sam braced himself for a fight and was rearing up his inner horse for a good one. “Not trying to say it is humor, but we’ve been on the road and off the road, this last hunt went bad, not as bad as some but bad enough, and if you’ve not noticed we’re not the nubile little children you first met over 30 years ago!” 

 

Castiel actually stepped back. He’d expected an outburst like this from Dean but from Sam!? “What’s happened that I need to know about other than Nox.”

 

“That was enough!” Sam blared. “Send someone else on this hunt, until I’m sure that this nightmare thing with Dean is under control we’re going nowhere.”

 

Dean squirmed visibly just standing there. “Sammy, back down a little bit.”

 

Sam whirled on him, “Fuck NO! We’ve stood up to a lot of shit in our lifetimes and we’ve asked for and gotten time off in the past when we need it. But if something major comes up who gets looked at first. We do and I’m tired of it.” He turned now to Castiel, “Cas I don’t mind the occasional hunt for a major artifact but…”

 

“But you are not the only hunter on the trail of this one, and I’m not sure that the leads I have are solid, but they are the best I’ve got to work with.” Castiel said tiredly.

 

Sam was still fuming when he took a look at the steaks and satisfied with the way they were cooking took them off the grill and onto a serving platter. He went into the house followed by the rest and proceeded to lay out the feast he’d already started on by pulling bowls and platters from a warm oven. 

 

Finally Sam turned to Castiel, “Ok we go after this rod, but we don’t go for at least a week, two if possible.”

 

“Sam this is kind of important.” Castiel said quietly.

 

“So is Dean, face it, you’re dealing with a team here, you can either have all of us working in concert or none of us. But we go out now we go out as close to 100% as possible.”

 

“Ok I can respect that.” Castiel returned.

 

“Well don’t just stand on ceremony folks, there’s food on the table, dish up.” Sam said then took off his cooks apron and slung it into the laundry room then he left the room. 

 

Castiel looked at him go, “Was it something I said?” He asked in a monotone.

 

Theo watched Sam’s back as he rounded the door facing into the bedroom and noticed the obvious sag. 

 

“Castiel I think that he’s starting to burn out. We’ve depended on Sam and Dean in the past to be miracle workers, to pull our collective fat out of the fire on several occasions, granted some of them were started with their own hand but still, this is the only life they’ve known.” Theo sighed and looked around the room Dean looked up after a moment’s thought and sat his plate down. 

 

“I’ll be right back I promise.” He said going back to the bedroom. There he found Sam sitting on the edge of the bed looking a combination of remorseful, angry, and tired. He walked over and sat by him throwing an arm around his shoulders. Then he gave him a squeeze. Sam looked up and shook his head wearily.

 

“I’m sorry I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You’d think I was PMSing.”

 

“No, you’re just burned out. We’ve had some time off over the past few months, but we’ve also pulled a lot of jobs.” Dean commented.

 

Sam looked at his brother for a moment then shook himself and stood up. “Fuck this, I’ve got dinner to get and I’m starved.” 

 

Dean then stood and faced Sam down. “Don’t do this. You’re not me, you don’t just slough off things like this well.”

 

Sam’s shoulders sagged. “I’m honestly not trying to be a drama queen.”

 

“Nobody is accusing you of that.” Dean started. “Come on, we’ll find Moses’ rod and worry about the rest later.”

 

Around the dining table Bill, Theo and Castiel sat with plates that were kept warm through some eldritch means while waiting for Sam and Dean, they showed up momentarily and looked shocked when they saw that everyone had filled plates but were not eating. Sam was about to say something when Dean grabbed his arm, and pointed toward the food.

 

“Plate. You. Fix. Now.” Dean said pointedly as he prepared his plate. They were soon sitting around the dining table cutting into the steaks. 

 

“Ok where is this rod supposed to have been seen last?” Sam asked. 

 

“On a farm in southern Kentucky ironically enough. It was used momentarily by a farmer to quicken his crops. It was a moment long enough to pinpoint the area it’s in but not necessarily directly able to point to it precisely.” Castiel confirmed. 

 

Bill looked up finally adding his voice to the conversation. “So when do we start out on the search for this stick?” 

 

“Give it two weeks at least.” Dean said his jaw line firming into an ‘I’ll brook no nonsense from anyone’ look. 

 

“Okay two weeks,” Castiel agreed, “I can arrange to have the area scoped out thoroughly to give you extra points in this. Others are on the hunt as well, if someone else finds this and in the meantime you’ll be notified.”

 

Dean raised his bottle of beer. “Here’s to someone else finding the damn thing.” Bottles and glasses were raised round the table to that toast. 

 

The evening wound down and Castiel excused himself to go on a fact finding journey. Bill offered to go with him and he gladly took the assisted effort. 

 

“Good, you’ll be of help. Besides, it will help you to be doing something like this.” Castiel said looking at him closely. 

 

“Guys I’ll be back soon enough, but I need this.” Bill opted.

 

Theo looked at Bill for a moment, “Are you sure about this, I mean you’re still raw.”

 

Bill walked over and gave Theo a kiss and hug, “I’ll be fine little brother. When you’ve been together with someone as long as Charlie and I were, you’ll understand.” 

 

Dean looked at Bill curiously, “Just how long were you two a couple?” 

 

Bill had to pause a moment and think on that one, “Well we met on an assignment to assist Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone, you know him as …”

 

“St. Francis!” Dean said. “Shit! And yes I did listen to the nuns in that one Catholic School we were dropped at for 9 months, a record for dad.”

 

“That was what like 11th or 12th Century.” Sam said looking at Bill with renewed respect.

 

“Love is not bound by limits such as time.” Bill chided gently. “But I need something to occupy my time for a while and you two need some privacy for a while. We’ll be back in what a day or two?” He said looking at Castiel.

 

“Probably more like a week.” Castiel said with a ghost of a smile.

 

“No problem, you take as long as you need on this.” Sam said warmly.

 

And with that Bill and Castiel were gone. 

 

Sam excused himself to start clearing up their mess when Dean excused himself to the bathroom something about returning some beer to the Snake River. They joked a bit and then finally decided to turn in for the evening. When Theo entered the bedroom he noted that there was a selection of toys laid out on the bed. 

 

He looked at Dean, “Who’s the lucky guy?”

 

Dean turned his gaze fondly on Sam who took a step back. “Now wait a minute guys. It’s been a while.”

 

“Oh we’ll be gentle.” Dean said with mock sincerity. 

 

Sam grimaced at that then Theo stepped up and started undressing Sam, Dean then undressed himself, and then Theo followed his example. They stood around for a long moment three nude men, then they grabbed up each other in a massive hug, which ended up with them tumbling on the bed. Sam lay spread-eagle for a moment until Dean and Theo started grabbing up toys to start out with. Theo grabbed up the paddle and with one finger flipped Sam onto his stomach. Actual fear came into his eyes then as Theo raised the paddle and then gave 10 licks at human strength. Dean had grabbed up the cat of nine tails and striped his back with 10 lashes. In the meantime Sam lay there motionless except for the occasional bridging of his spine with a paddle or lash. He did vocalize his pain but was encouraging more punishment. After 5 more lashes and paddles they stopped long enough for Theo to slather lube on a butt plug. He none to gently parted Sam’s ass cheeks and aimed the plug at his unprepared asshole. He fed the first inch in and waited a moment, feeling Sam’s muscles pushing back on the intruder. He fed in another inch holding it carefully in place. Then as Sam was writhing and crying out on the bed, he fed in another inch, almost at the shoulders of the plug he fed in the final inch and heard the satisfying pop as his anal ring clamped around the narrowed shoulder of the plug. 

 

“On your back, butt boy.” Theo ordered.

 

“Do you mind giving me a minute that’s still kind of tender?” Sam said 

 

“Actually I do mind, you were ordered to roll and you will roll over.” Dean said grabbing Sam’s shoulder and roughly pulling him over onto a folded towel. He screeched as tender red skin came in contact with the sheets. Theo grabbed the scarves he tossed on the bed and proceeded to secure Sam’s hands down while Dean tied down his feet. Then grinning he started stroking Sam’s halfway hard sex into full mast hard. They kissed and cuddled for several minutes then Theo and Dean proceeded to start with love bites on his chest and stomach then they started working on his thighs until he was a patch work of small bruises. 

 

“Ours.” Theo and Dean said together. Sam grinned at the compliment and strained a bit at the bindings.

 

“Uh uh,” Dean said, “You’re not going anywhere, well not yet. He picked up another toy from the bed’s linens and lubed up the small rod. Sam’s eyes went wide at that.

 

“Uh guys, it’s been a while since I was probed I’m serious go gentle with that thing.” Dean picked up the cat of nine and striped his chest with three flails. 

 

“You may speak, but when we give you permission.” Dean said severely. He then nodded to Theo who grabbed Sam’s dick and held it in place, then slicking back the foreskin he proceeded to give him some serious mouth loving until Sam was bucking wanting more and faster action. Theo pulled back and Dean inserted the probe into his urethra. Sam grimaced as the first inch of the thin metal probe entered his piss slit and come channel then it was as if his dick were swallowing the small tool whole. It went in easily up to the shoulders of the bulbous end. Then Theo flipped a microswitch on the end of the bulb. Sam started flexing his hands and feet as the probe vibrated so deep inside of him. Dean straddled his brother, presenting him his dick to suck on while Theo stood up on the bed presenting his dick at mouth level for Dean, Dean was groaning in no time as Sam expertly wrapped his tongue around Dean’s thick shaft. 

 

“That’s it you cock bitch.” Dean moaned out around a mouthful of Theo’s dick. The humming vibrations of speech setting Theo flying to new heights as well. 

 

“Oh my freaking God.” Theo said then clapped his hand over his mouth as if he were calling the words back. “Sorry” he whispered then moaned aloud again as Dean started gently using his teeth to stroke Theo’s shaft and sensitive dick head. 

 

Sam in the meantime was groaning with straining at the bindings as the massager did its job and set him flying mentally. Dean threw back his head at one point just about to blow his load, when Theo commanded. “Dean get your mouth back where it belongs.” 

 

Dean complied and in a few more deep strokes of his cock was rewarded with a groan and grunt from Theo as he shot streamer after streamer of come into Dean’s mouth. Dean swallowed the warm seed greedily and lapped on the cock for more attention. This pushed Dean to the limit. He reached down and felt his ball sack and then groaned loudly around Theo’s deflating prick as he came, filling Sam’s mouth to overflowing. Sam licked greedily as well at his brothers dick enjoying every essence about his brothers come. Finally, Dean turned and slowly pulled the probe from Sam’s urethra noting with satisfaction the small geyser of urine that followed. He used the towels to clean him up and then he stroked Sam about three times to hear him yell and bridge as he came in huge streamers of white spend coating his stomach and chest. 

 

“Oh somebody had to come bad.” Dean whispered as he lapped up some of the come. Then he and Theo loosed the bindings that help Sam in place. Sam sighing with gratitude as he stretched muscles relaxed now.

 

“You have no idea.” Sam answered him finally, and then moved over in bed a bit to give them both cuddling room, “That was fantastic.” He complimented drowsily. 

 

Theo and Dean shared sleepy kisses with him and smiling loved him. Then dropping off to sleep they began to snore softly, that is, all but Dean, who began stiffening in his sleep and moaning a bit. The dream world starting to embrace him and the nightmares starting all over again. He was back in Hell and this time he was on the rack with Bella standing there using the tools to torture him mercilessly. No matter how loud he screamed she showed no mercy or peace. In fact, his screaming seemed to prompt her to become more creative and brutal. She slit openings in his arms and legs then lifted and iron ladle pouring water, heavily salted water over the cuts. Then he started convulsing on the table, writhing as one in the last rigors of death. 

 

Suddenly his eyes flew open and he was pinned to the bed by Sam with Theo out and around to the other side of him. They said nothing, Sam slid over to give Dean room to slide, then Theo lay down on the other side. Sam hid his grimaces of pain as best as possible and thanked all the powers that were that the room was dark now. Dean lay there for several long moments panting, a thin sheen of sweat coating his arms, torso and legs. His face was contorted for a moment in memory then he slowly relaxed. He looked over at Theo then to Sam. 

 

Frustration written plain on his face, they just hugged and cuddled him into a restful slumber as his eyes started to close Theo brushed his forehead with his fingertips. Theo, then joined Dean in his sleeping, and then went a step further and joined him in his dream. Where again Dean was back on the rack, Bella again was doing her dirty work, only this time Theo flew into the scene fully exposed now in his full angelic form and blasted Bella into atoms, he then wrenched Dean from the rack and hauled him bodily against him and started a flight out of hell. He cradled Dean carefully as he flew, sending his power coursing through him, healing the welts and cuts, Dean’s skin once again as clear and blemishless as possible. Dean then woke in his dream in a field, the same one in which his grave was at one time. There were trees blasted down around him as he lay there panting still. Then Theo back in human form knelt by him and smiled spoke in soothing tones. 

 

“Let’s get you home.” Theo stayed in the dream with him now and they walked back through his mind and through the events that happened after his resurrection. 

 

The dream then evolved into his trek to the gas station, the harvesting of the goods in the empty station then the hotwiring of the car and his road trek to some kind of familiar surroundings to take him home. The dream continued to spiral peacefully now and Theo comfortable with the path it was on left him to continue dreaming. 

 

Dean finally sank into that level of sleep where dreams don’t happen, where it is nearly an unconscious state. He rested then and woke several hours later with only pleasant memories in his dream recognition. He lay there for a long minute looking out the bedroom window at the cool grey dawn that was breaking and then crawled over Theo and out of the bed. Theo deep in his slumber barely stirred. He wrapped up in a robe and walked into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. He’d just poured his first cup when there was a knock at the back door. He walked over and opened it to see Castiel and Bill standing there.

 

“What’s up?” Dean asked puzzled. “You usually just pop in, in the house.” 

 

Bill grinned, “I cautioned Castiel that you might be recuperating from last night and that we might want to make a quiet entrance. So we been waiting until we saw signs of life then interrupted you.”

 

Dean grinned in return and got them in the kitchen with mugs of steaming coffee in their hands. “You’ve got good news I hope?” 

 

“Actually yes, we tracked the rod down to a specific area of Kentucky, and I think we’ve pretty much located the farm that it’s located at. I was going to retrieve it last night but something prevented me.

 

That was when I discovered that they had spelled the house with some Enochian symbology.”

 

“Ouch.” Dean muttered. 

 

“Hey you crawled out early.” Sam said coming into the Kitchen rubbing at his face a moment then seeing Castiel and Bill standing there looked down and saw that he was not wearing a stitch of clothing let alone a robe. He shrugged and stood there unflustered. 

 

“You did have a good time last night.” Bill said with a grin as he traced several of the bite mark bruises that were present. “Man you got nailed by both of them.” He grinned wider if that were possible and stuck his hand up for a high five which Sam gladly clapped on. 

 

Castiel nodded to Sam and looked at Dean, “It’s good to see you looking well, getting nightmares under control?”

 

Dean thought about it for a moment before commenting. “That’s the queerest thing, I was having the typical nightmare at one point last night when in the middle of the dream Theo swooped in, kicked some demon ass and rescued me. It was all a replay of what happened when I woke up in that coffin after that.” He looked around. “Theo must be sleeping in…” 

 

Castiel looked thoughtful for a moment, “It’s highly likely that Theo actually entered your dream and changed some of the scenario for you. Which accounts for his not being awake yet.” 

 

Bill and Castiel shared a look and Bill started back to the bedroom. “I’ll go check on him.”

 

“Hey man let him sleep, he deserves it.” Dean said quickly.

 

“You don’t understand, if he dream walked and affected your dream he may have trouble waking. He is probably weak.” Castiel said quietly.

 

Dean & Sam looked at the angel a moment and then spun on his heels to head back to the bedroom, there he saw Theo being helped to a sitting posture by Bill. Dean was floored by the pallor of their friend, Sam was shaken by the way in which he seemed to be shaking. Theo looked up and smiled at them. 

 

“I look a lot worse than I feel.” He said his voice a whisper.

 

Dean walked over to the bed his brow furrowed with concern and suppressed anger at himself. “You shouldn’t be like this at all. How long were you in my dreams last night?” 

 

Theo looked abashed, “Oh, Castiel told you about that trick I see.” He sighed, “Dean I frankly have no idea just how long I was in there, most of the night I should think.”

 

“I appreciate the concern and the help, but if it gets you like this it’s not worth it.” Dean said worriedly.

 

Theo shook his head, “It’s worth it to me. You’re worth it to me.”

 

Castiel walked past them and into the room. He looked carefully at the younger angel and nodded. “Youth is a good thing in this case, you’ll bounce back but you’ll be most of the day doing it.”

 

Bill looked at Dean a moment and then smiled warmly. “I’ve boosted his system a little so he shouldn’t feel the rougher of the effects. You see Dean we angels have limitations as well. There are certain immutable laws of nature for us.”

 

Dean nodded and just sat there with Theo who looked sideways at him, “You mean you’re not going to jump my ass about doing all this? Papa Bear you’re losing your touch.”

 

“Losing my touch hell.” Dean started, “I’m just going to wait until you’re back together and in one piece then I’m going to lay into you for this shit.”

 

“Oooo, I’m so scared.” Theo said with a grin. “I won’t be running any races today but I promise that I’ll be up shortly.”

 

Dean looked at him a moment, “Do you feel like you could eat anything, would that help?” 

 

Theo shook his head, “Thanks all the same but I’m not terribly hungry right now, comes with this, but I promise you I will eat when I get up. I think for right now if I can just sit up I’ll get feeling better.”

 

Sam shook his head, “I always thought all angels were like you Cas, basically a storehouse of energy.”

 

Castiel smiled wanly, “Most of us do have a store of energy built up, but you’ve got to understand, to do what Theo did last night, for most of the night, is very tiring, imagine for a moment that you are walking uphill, that would be dreamwalking, now imagine that you are carrying a pack like your duffle bag on your back while you are walking. Now you have an idea what it’s like to dreamwalk and affect things in the dream world.”

 

Dean looked at him a moment, “So you’re saying that he did the equivalent of a hike up a mountain with a full pack all night long?!” Castiel nodded with a sad smile. “Damn it boy, you know better.”

 

“Dean…shut up.” Theo said looking at him earnestly. “I love you too much to have you endure those dreams. If what I did helped any this was a small price to pay.”

 

“Oh don’t go getting noble and shit on me.” Dean groused. 

 

Theo’s stare turned less than friendly for a moment, “Dean Winchester! What I did, I did knowing what it would cost me, I don’t give a rats ass what you think about my contribution, but I did it to try and help you. You might try and show a little gratitude.”

 

Sam looked at Castiel, “I take it the pissy attitude comes with the recovery?” 

 

Theo looked up from the bed, “No the pissy attitude comes from emo guy here getting all racked up. Dean if it will make you feel any better I wouldn’t say no to a cup of coffee and some juice.”

 

“God-damned little prissy assed angel.” Dean muttered as he got up from the bed. Castiel stopped him at the door, “What?”

 

“I was going to tell you that yes, I could add my energy to what Bill contributed and he would recover that much quicker, but there is nothing pressing today and this will prepare him for the future when he has to recover on his own.”

 

Dean went into the kitchen followed by Sam, “I suppose you’re going to tell me to cut him some slack.”

 

Sam just looked at him then went over to the refrigerator and got out a carton of orange juice. “At least he should have told us what he was planning to do before he did it.” Was all that Sam would contribute. Then before they walked back with the coffee and juice, Sam did put a hand on Dean’s shoulder, “And try to cut him a little slack. He looks pretty shitty right now, and I not an angel doctor but I get the feeling that he lied back there earlier.”

 

“Didn’t know they could lie.” Dean said after a moment.

 

“Okay he bent the truth to hell and back.” Sam opted.

 

They went back to the bedroom where Theo was looking less drawn but still was shaky to a degree. They sat the mug and glass down by the bedside and looked around. Theo was looking much like he was when they left, but Castiel had a very pensive look on his face, Bill didn’t look much better.

 

“What did we miss out on?” Dean asked.

 

“We were just thinking some of this through. You’re not going to like this.” Bill said looked at Castiel.

 

“I just decided I’m not going to but I want to hear it anyway.” Dean voiced.

 

Castiel looked at Dean, “Your nightmares have a physical dimension to them in that it would appear that you are physically here but psychically you are in Hell. Theo’s trip proves that point. He wouldn’t be this weak if it were just basic dreamwalking, he actually had to go into part of hell last night to retrieve your psyche.”

 

Dean’s eyes shot wide open now and he looked at Castiel for a long moment then he started shaking. He looked then at Theo who was looking at him sadly. Sam came up beside Dean and grabbed him around the shoulders.

 

“Don’t space out on me now bro.” 

 

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t.” He said weakly. He walked over to the bed and sat down at the foot for a moment then he slowly lay down shivering and shaking. Sam went over to him and grabbed him up in a body hug. His eyes were suddenly haunted as the import of what was said was arcing through his brain. “I can’t do that again.” He said shakily. “I just can’t.” He shook for another few moments then growled, “God damn it.” 

 

“I really wish you folk would come up with a more unique swear. I get so tired of hearing that.” God said walking into the room. Bill sprung from the bed and Castiel seemed to stand a bit straighter, Theo started to try and rise, but was waved down. “At ease gentlemen.” He walked over and looked down at Dean. “It tough enough living through hell once, the idea of doing it twice is a bit awesome isn’t it?”

 

“Not exactly the phrase I would use sir.” Dean said sarcastically.

 

“Ok it’s the pits and the shits.” 

 

“That’s more like it.”Dean admitted. God reached down then and caressed his cheek a moment.


	8. Chapter 8

Then He smiled and it seemed to lighten the room, “Dean, your soul is seated firmly in your body, it’s not going anywhere, but yes you are psychically travelling to that damned dominion. I know who holds some of the blame in this and I will deal with him in time. For now, your bed is warded to protect your psyche. You may still have nightmares but you will not be psychically dragged to the pit.”

 

“Thank you sir.” Dean said gratefully.

 

Then God looked to Theo, “You’ve done well my child. Drink your coffee while it’s still hot. We’ll talk later.” And He was gone. Theo did as ordered and took up his mug of coffee and sipped gratefully at the still steaming liquid. Dean slowly sat up from where he was laying, not shaking quite as badly but still disturbed. 

 

“Well that clarifies some things and makes some others clear as mud.” He said looking at Castiel. Slowly he stood and looked around at the others. He walked around the bed and touched Theo’s cheek with a work calloused hand then straightened up. He started to head out of the room when Theo quickly sat his mug down and called to him. 

 

“Dean, could you do me another favor?” 

 

“Sure kid.” Dean said turning back to the bed, “what?”

 

“Help me up.” He asked.

 

“Huh, what do you need?” Then he saw Theo looking in the direction of the bathroom. “Oh.” Dean said with a ghost of a smile. He helped Theo to stand and then walked with him at he went into the bathroom.

 

Dean was about to turn and leave him there when the door closed in his face. Sam looked at Castiel and Bill who shook their heads both smiling secretly and at the same time looking somber. 

 

It seemed like much longer than it was but after about 10 minutes the bathroom door opened. The couple stepped back into the bedroom, Dean looking slightly the worse for wear. Sam walked over to him and touched his arm. He looked up to his brother with a slightly hunted expression. Then he sighed in volume. 

 

“Lot of shit to deal with.” He said his voice fragile. 

 

Bill smiled slightly. “I take it you mean that figuratively.”

 

Dean just looked at Bill who was pointing to the bathroom and the pun hit Dean square between the eyes. “Doh! Okay cut that out.” He said pulling himself back into a semblance of order. 

 

Then a look of righteous rage came into Dean’s eyes and he grabbed a coin out of the bureau on the dresser and marched past everyone headed towards the back of the house. The others followed confused until he got out in the back yard and set to grabbing a tarp out of the garage, he unfurled it on the ground then set up the brazier and started the coals burning. The others looked on with Bill and Castiel taking it in disapprovingly but saying nothing. 

 

“What are you going to …” Sam started when Dean finished the invocation.

 

“Bloody hell! Will you make up your fucking mind just what you want.” Crowley said appearing in the circle.

 

“Are you responsible for this soul grabbing?” Dean asked in hotly.

 

“Bugger off. You’ve made your plans clear, we’re on different sides of the fence now.”

 

“Fine, you want to play it that way.” He didn’t even turn, “Sam, exorcise him.” Without a word of comment Sam’s hand came up pointing directly at Crowley who cringed.

 

“You think you can exorcise me you fucking nancy boy! Get real!” Crowley shouted. The he convulsed for the moment. Black smoke started to issue from his mouth then he started nodding frantically. Sam released him and the smoke popped back into the banker. “You buggering little sod.” Crowley growled.

 

“All right, yes I had something to do with your situation.”

 

“Stop it then.” Dean ordered.

 

“Give me some incentive other than angel boys there.”

 

“You want to deal?” Dean said stunned.

 

Crowley barked a laugh, “Boy, if I wanted to deal I wouldn’t have wasted this much time with you. You have something I desire, give it to me, or give me news of it and your soul goes free.”

 

Castiel stepped forward but Dean shot a hand out.

 

“What do you want?” Dean said curiously.

 

“A trinket really, nothing important, it’s a piece of jewelry you brought back from that bints hoard.” Crowley offered.

 

Dean looked at Sam who walked over to the Impala and pulled a cardboard box from the trunk. He walked back over and spilled the contents on the ground fingering the lot. Crowley started to step forward but was halted by the summoning circle. 

 

“You really are a trustworthy lot.” He groused.

 

Dean looked at him for a moment, “You’ve crossed us, that makes you an enemy, remember what happens to most of our enemies. We’ve got a pretty good track record so far. If you want to change that position you’ll identify the piece out of this stash then you’ll tell us why you want it. Then I, not Sam, Bill or Castiel will make a judgment call on whether or not to let you have it.”

 

“Fair enough mate.” Crowley knelt down and looked at the splayed jewelry, and then he pointed to a necklace of onyx beads with a singular pendant in the center. It was a fish hook with a circle backing it made of onyx and carnelian. Dean fished it out and held it up by on the tip of a stick. He then dropped the pendant onto a stone and raised a hammer he’d brought from the garage. 

 

“So why is this important?” 

 

“Boy don’t even think of hurting that piece.” The hammer fell just to the left of the pendant and necklace chipping a piece from the stone it was sitting on. 

 

“Next time I crush it now why is it so important to you? What kind of power does it give you?” Dean growled.

 

Crowley looked at all of the gathered. “Just to you, I’ll talk to you, no one else.”

 

Dean didn’t look up, “Other side of the yard gents.” Against their better judgment Sam, Bill, Castiel walked to the other side of the yard. 

 

“That’ll do.” Crowley said with ill grace. “That pendant will permit the holder to hook souls out of hell.”

 

“So I or one of them could use this.”

 

“Yes, and it would affect the balance that I’ve worked out with God. Give me a break here; I’m being bloody up front with you on this. This trinket is powerful to someone who wants to fuck hell up.”

 

“Give me a reason not to use this.” Dean said fingering the necklace.

 

Crowley gulped visibly. “An upset in the balance in hell directly affects heaven and earth. I’ve got the other demons under control right now; this would cause civil war if it gets into the wrong hands.”

 

Dean nodded, “Granted, so why not let me just go ahead and destroy it?” 

 

Crowley laughed, “That’s the nick, try and hammer it, go ahead Dean, just try.”

 

Dean raised the hammer and brought it down with some force on the pendant. The hammerhead bounced visibly. “And let me guess you can take care of this in Hell?”

 

Crowley was reasonable now, “Actually yes I can. There are ways I can set to guard it that no one can penetrate.” 

 

Dean gave him an arched look. “So I give you this and you release my soul.”

 

“For good and all yes.” Crowley said looking Dean square in the eyes. 

 

Dean nodded, “My soul first then you get the necklace.”

 

Crowley actually looked hurt at that. “Well I suppose.” He appeared to concentrate for a moment and then Dean shivered violently and spat. He then handed Crowley the necklace. “So, friends again?” Crowley asked.

 

“Let’s just say we are mutual adversaries for the moment. There was a lot of water that passed under the bridge that I’ve had to endure, Theo’s in the house recovering from flying me out in a dream last night.”

 

“Don’t tell wings over there, but that boy’s got archangel material if he were to apply himself.” Crowley said shivering visibly.

 

Dean tilted his head appraisingly. “Interesting. We’ll keep that in mind. Very well, I release you and order to you back to your dominion.” And with a whiff of sulphur Crowley vanished.

 

He was rejoined momentarily by Sam and the others. He looked at Castiel and pointed to the lot of jewelry strewn on the ground. 

 

“Is there a way to destroy that right now?” 

 

Castiel nodded slightly. “It can be done but there are a couple of other pieces in there that could be used as bargaining chips in the future.”

 

Sam looked at him, “That Case in the gun cabinet.”

 

Dean nodded then gathered the jewelry up and took it indoors, the others followed as he opened the gun safe. He took out a box that was covered in symbology, opened it and dumped the jewelry in on top of the Colt.

 

“You gave him the hook necklace?” Castiel asked.

 

Dean nodded looking down at the case for a moment. “It seemed like a fair trade.” Castiel laid his hand on Dean’s shoulder in a rare gesture. Dean looked up and saw compassion in the angel’s eyes. 

They walked back into the bedroom and saw that Theo was on his feet with a little more surety and dressed. He was just pulling his shirt on when they entered the bedroom.

 

“Hey baby bear you sure you need to be up and around.” Sam asked. Bill snickered a bit at the nickname. 

 

“I need to be moving otherwise I feel like I’m going to grow to that bed.” Theo said smiling, he walked over to Sam and Dean. “I’ll be fine in a while, I promise. Hell if it’ll make you feel better we’ll go for a walk in a bit.”

 

Sam looked at Castiel for a moment, “I take it you don’t have anywhere to be immediately.” 

 

Castiel shook his head and actually smiled for a change. “Things are progressing at their own rate, my hand is not needed in matters right now.”

 

“Good.” Bill said looking at them, “Then you can go with me down to the house in a bit.” He looked Sam, Dean, and Theo. “I can’t stay up here forever and I’ve got to face that sometime, that time may as well be now.”

 

The others nodded and walked into the living room for a moment, Bill was looking incredibly antsy. 

 

Finally Theo stood and nodded to his friend, “Come on, you need to get this over with now.” Bill nodded numbly and they all left the house, walking through the yards down to Bill and Charlie’s house. Bill inserted the key into the lock and turned it. Then grasping the doorknob he slowly opened the door to the house. He took one cautious step in followed by Theo. Tears immediately began streaming down his cheeks as he looked around at the house that he and Charlie had shared for so many years. They walked through the living room towards the kitchen he grinned a bit. 

 

“I’m going to have to clean out the refrigerator. Charlie was manic about that.” He said sniffing. They walked back into the living room a moment then he looked to Theo. “Walk with me little brother.” He asked. Theo nodded and they walked back to the bedroom. Bill walked over to the bed and picked up a shirt holding it close for a long moment then sniffing the collar. He looked over at Theo.

 

“Charlie’s?” Theo asked. Bill nodded numbly then sat on the edge of the bed. He doubled over then in powerful sobs of anguish. Theo walked over to the bed and sat next to his kindred and threw an arm across his shoulders. They sat like that for several minutes. In the living room Sam and Dean turned towards the bedroom hearing the coughs, sniffs, and finally the wrenching sobs coming out and they started back to be halted by Castiel. 

 

“You’re not needed right now. This is something only angels can understand.”

 

Dean looked at Castiel like he’d grown two heads, “And we mere mortals know nothing about grief?”

 

“That’s not what I meant.” Castiel said defensively.

 

Dean shook his head, “That sure as hell was how it sounded. After all that we’ve come through and you think we are that ignorant? Cas, I gotta say it, I’m disappointed in you right now.”

 

Castiel looked at him levelly, “I’m sorry you feel that way, but this is a matter that is between two angels, when you and Sam have been together for over a thousand years then you may have something valuable to input, but for now, leave it to them.”

 

Sam gripped Dean’s shoulder, “Hey bro, you just got your soul back, let’s be happy with that, and let Bill get this out of his system the way he needs to. We’ll just be in the way otherwise.”

 

Dean nodded slowly and listened to the sounds coming out of the bedroom, the soul rending sounds of one in a depth of pain that was unfathomable. They sat down on the love seat to wait for Bill to make a move. 

 

It was going on a half hour when Dean looked at Castiel who finally nodded they all stood and walked back to the bedroom and saw that Bill was curled up on the bed in a fetal position softly crying into the clutched shirt. Theo sat there rubbing his back, consoling him as best as he could. Dean walked up and sat beside Theo and gripped Bill’s shoulder companionably. The latter didn’t even look up but just kept the keening cry going. Dean got an acknowledgement in that Bill moved one hand to take his. Slowly Bill sat up and turned trying to stem the flow of tears; Dean looked at him and shook his head. 

 

“Don’t do this to yourself man, let it out get the poison out of your system.” 

 

Bill smiled wanly, “Grief is that. I just…” He dissolved again gripping Dean’s arms. Dean in turn held onto him and let him vent his grief that much more. 

 

Dean looked up at one point with a confused glance. “Isn’t Charlie, like, in heaven?” 

 

Bill looked up and his tears seemed to wane then, “No Dean, when an angel is killed, the spirit that is the angel is destroyed and vessel dies. God is the final arbiter to say whether an angel gets reborn or not.”

 

Sam and Dean looked at Theo then, “Yes, if the vessel gets destroyed we simply migrate to a new one, if the angel gets destroyed then unless God gives his official stamp; it’s a case of destroyed.” Theo told them.

 

Bill gripped a little tighter on Dean’s arms a moment then released him. He slowly stood up and shook himself. “This is getting nothing accomplished.” He walked towards the group who preceded him out of the bedroom and back into the living room. “I appreciate your wanting to be with me, but if you don’t mind I’d like some alone time.”

 

“Understood,” Dean said quietly. 

 

“Yeah Bill, if it gets too lonesome you know where to come.” Sam said smiling.

 

Bill nodded, “Thanks.” With that he saw them out of the door, Theo looked at Sam and Dean. 

 

“Can we take that walk now?” He asked. 

 

Sam looked to Theo for a moment, “You sure you feel up to it.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure, I’m also curious, just what else was in the treasure of costume jewelry we found?”

 

Castiel thought for a moment before responding, “I’m not so sure I want to know the answer to that one. After all, one piece was sufficient to bargain Dean’s soul back from Hell. And you never mentioned what you bargained away from the stash.” 

 

Dean shrugged and looked at Castiel, “It wasn’t that important and it needed to be in either heaven or hells hands not ours.”

 

“What did you bargain?” Castiel asked directly as they walked. 

 

Suddenly Dean stopped his brow furrowed in anger. “Some cod-knocking piece of trash jewelry that Crowley said would hook a soul from hell.” 

 

Castiel nodded and looked at Dean for a moment then nodded again. This made the furrowed anger look go to a full blown scowl, Dean whirled with a muttered oath and started back the opposite direction.

 

“Dean?” Sam asked.

 

“I suddenly don’t feel much like walking.” He answered as diplomatically as possible. 

 

“Hang on.” Sam called, and then motioned for the others to keep walking. He turned to Dean. “This isn’t like you pulling a snit over something Cas has said.”

 

“Maybe I just didn’t appreciate having what little honesty I have being called into question. Damn it Sam, it wasn’t like I just said Oh okay, you want this pretty necklace fine, here you go, oh and can I have my soul back now?”

 

“You must’ve got your bitchy side back in that bit of soul exchange.” Sam said trying to humor him.

 

“Dude, seriously not funny.” 

 

Sam nodded to his riposte. “It wasn’t meant to be it was meant to jar you a little bit. This isn’t like you. Come on man, lighten up.”

 

Dean turned and joined Sam, “I know, it doesn’t make sense to me either, it’s like my head is fucked completely around.” They caught up with Theo and Castiel who looked at him curiously. Dean said nothing but started off on the walk again, “Well come on.” He barked.

 

 

Sam shrugged to the others and they took off again, the walk didn’t take them far Theo huffed a little and they decided it was time to turn back. Finally Castiel looked at Dean, “You might have thought I was being unfair earlier, however, consider it a moment, part of your soul, a fragment of you was being held in hell. Do you actually think that he had it on a mantelpiece to take down and look at occasionally? Dean I’m afraid your nightmares have just started.”

 

Dean looked down at his feet a moment and then up to Castiel as they walked back to the house. “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of and frankly that scares the bejeezus out of me.”

 

Castiel nodded as they walked, they reached the house in short order and found Bill sitting on the front porch. Walking up Sam looked at him worriedly; Castiel and Theo shared a silent look. He looked at them as they came up the drive and then he stood. Shoving his hands into pockets he faced them and tried to look quietly complacent. 

 

“Hey Bill, come on in.” Sam offered going up the steps and opening the door. 

 

“Sorry about this guys, I need to talk to you Castiel, alone if you don’t mind.” Castiel’s eyebrow arched quietly and he turned to look at the others.

 

“We’ll go down to …”

 

“No we won’t we’ll go into the back yard.” Bill said indicating the driveway.

 

“As you wish.” 

 

Dean, Sam, and Theo walked into the house and sat down in the living room. Theo looked a bit worried which got Sam and Dean’s curiosity roused. He just shook his head at their unspoken question and went in to the kitchen bringing back three beers. He passed the other two out and then popping the top on his, drained about half in a gulp. Sam and Dean now exchanged more than a curious look, this was all out concern and they started to get up to go check on Bill and Castiel.

 

“Leave them be.” Theo said quietly commanding.

 

“Theo?” Sam said.

 

Theo shook his head again, “If I am guessing right, and I think I am, Bill’s is either going to go back to heaven or go on an eternal road trip.”

 

“You mean he might suicide don’t you?” Dean asked.

 

“Yes though it is technically impossible for an angel to suicide, they have to have a second to administer the killing stroke.”

 

“Oh kind of like the Japanese.” Dean noted. Then caught the look from Theo and Sam, “What? I watched Sho-Gun.” They heard the back door open then the refrigerator door open and shut, Bill came through with a bottle in hand Castiel was looking patently disgusted. 

 

“If you gentlemen will excuse me I have some important matters to see to.” And with a clap of sound he was gone. 

 

“I think I pissed him off.” Bill said looking where Castiel was standing. 

 

“Going home or going off?” Theo asked. Bill looked at him a long moment and then sat down on the sofa. 

 

“Neither, it looks like. Oh I could hike back to heaven, only, that would justify that asshat’s words.” 

 

Dean looked at him a moment then shook his head as did Sam. “Okay you lost us.”

 

Bill continued to stare at the “Castiel point” for a moment longer then turned. “He bitched me out, something about throwing in the towel when the times got rough, etc. and so forth.”

 

“Oh, I thought he said something important, basically he just psyched you out.” Sam said nodding.

 

Bill bridled. “I’m sorry but I don’t find this a matter to be flip about.” 

 

Sam held up his hands, “Neither do we, but he did he psyched you out using the ‘don’t throw in the towel when times are tough’ routine is old as shit. You do what you feel best doing and if he said, “Think of what Charlie would have wanted you to do.” I’d do right the opposite to spite the bastard.”

 

“How did you know…” Bill asked.

 

Dean looked up and so did Sam, “We come from a father who was a master manipulator and he used that trick frequently. Sometimes I let it work just to shut him the fuck up.” Sam said.

 

“So what do I do?” Bill asked thoroughly perplexed. 

 

“What do you want to do?” Dean asked.

 

“Make that shit eat his words.” Bill answered.

 

Suddenly a breeze wafted through the room and the smell of new earth and fresh herbs permeated the air. “Joshua?” Sam asked.

 

“Make that shit eat his words.” Joshua said joining their little gathering laughing, and punctuating each word it sounded like. “Boy, you’re starting to learn about these humans and that’ll be a help when you do come back.”

 

“You make it sound like I should stay as well.”

 

“Stay or go, it’s your choice. You stay you strengthen your knowledge when you return; you go, you strengthen the corp of Angels with what information you already possess which is considerable. You got an even split boy.” Joshua told him.

 

Bill leaned forward and put his head in his hands a moment. “Ok I’m getting a headache now. I need another beer.”

 

“Good idea.” Joshua said as Bill walked into the kitchen, “Bring me one of them Tetley Pale Ales.” He sat down in the rooms other easy chair and looked around. “You boys been right busy of late. Umm hmm right busy at that. And you’re going to get busier as the days go on.”

 

“We want to slow down some.” Dean griped.

 

“You can do that too, you don’t have to take every job that comes your way, there’s a whole new cadre, thanks Bill,” He took the proffered bottle of beer and took a prodigious pull off it. “there’s a whole new cadre of hunters coming along thanks to you boys and others. This new group is better equipped and trained as good as you were. They just, well most of them, don’t carry the emotional baggage that John saddled you with.” He leaned forward resting his forearms on his knees and took another pull from the bottle. “My, but I about forgot how good some Earth brews are. I guess I been spending too much time drinking my own to notice. Anyways, you can take the high road and be happy and free from hunts, just like you Bill, oh pshaw, do I have to keep using that earth name you took, I much prefer your real name sort of rolls off the tongue like.”

 

“Go ahead.” Bill said.


	9. Chapter 9

“Good Hammael. Now that that is out of the way, you have to do,” He noticed then Sam and Dean mouth the name Hammael, “It’s a good name means “Angel of Dignity.”” Then he turned back to Hammael, “anyways, you have to do what seems best for you. You might be right or wrong, but it’ll be your choice, it won’t be one somebody pushed you into making.” Then he shook himself a bit, “That’s not the reason I came though, bring out that lot of treasure boys.” Dean disappeared and was gone a few moments then returned with the box in his hands. He flipped the lid open on it. 

 

Joshua bent over the lot and rummaged through it momentarily then came out with a strand of green pearlescent beads with no pendant. He looked at it and laughed then nodded, “Figured that it might be in this lot when I heard about some jewelry being found with a couple of artifacts in the mess.” He took the necklace in his hand, closed his hand over it and then poured out a hand of sand. “Best thing that could happen to that one.” He looked at the others, “Sorry about that, boys but that necklace falls under my purview and well, I didn’t want to see it escaping.” 

 

“What did it do?” Sam asked. 

 

“Caused crops to grow and flourish.” Joshua said with a laugh. “Oh I know that you’re thinking that that’s a perfectly good bit of magic to have in this old world. No it’s not.”

 

“It’s not.” Dean asked perplexed. “With all the world hunger going on it would seem like you’d want that to be used.”

 

Joshua shook his head sadly. “No son, crops gotta grow or fail on their own, not be pushed along by magic. Especially not that kind of magic. That was dark stuff that made that necklace.”

 

“If it was dark why make something useful?” Theo asked joining in the conversation his strength returning. 

 

“Wondered if you done left us Theo, you took a hard knock but hard lessons are the best learned. No you could help crops along with that necklace, only thing is that you help crops in one place with that, you are killing crops somewhere else.” 

 

Theo stretched and yawned. “Sorry guys, I guess last night is still kicking my butt a bit.”

 

Joshua reached into his robe and brought out a small pouch. “Here, go make that up into some tea, don’t argue just do it.” 

 

Theo took what he knew to be a pouch of herbs and walked into the kitchen with them, he returned a minute or so later, “It’s steeping now.” Then he looked at the jewelry. “It’s strange that so plain a woman would have so many artifacts.”

 

“Not when you consider that she was not exactly a woman, oh she was mostly a woman, but a few other things as well.” Hammael said sitting forward. “I had the chance to do a bit of background checking on her. It would seem that she’s known quite well in some Goth circles among others.” 

 

“See, you are worth more than your upkeep.” Sam said grinning. Hammael grinned as well. 

 

“Oh I was meaning to ask, do you mind if I stay the night up here?” He asked. 

 

“Figured you might want to and the guest room is open to you anytime you want to use it.” Dean said looking at him. Joshua got up and returned from the kitchen after a moment with a steaming mug of tea. 

 

“Drink it down.” He told Theo. The latter turned the mug up and took an experimental sip and pleased by its taste sat back sipping at it. “Well boys it’s been an interesting morning, but I have a garden that needs looking after.” Then he pulled out a jar and placed it on the table in front of Sam and Dean. “A jar of honey from my own hives. You just can’t beat fresh honey.”

 

“Thanks Joshua.” Dean and Sam said in unison. 

“Thanks for the advice.” Hammael said. 

“and for the tea.” Theo said lifting the mug in his direction. 

“Part of my job.” Joshua said vanishing in a breeze.

 

After a long moment Dean and Sam said, “Hammael”

 

“Shut up. I much prefer Bill.”

 

They all broke up laughing. Finally as Theo finished the last of the tea he looked around a moment and asked. “So, I missed breakfast, anyone up for lunch?” 

 

“Gods, this kid, thinking with his stomach or his dick.” Dean said mockingly.

 

“You love me and you know it.” Theo said with a grin. 

 

“I just hope that’s the last we have to drag that jewelry out for a while.” Dean remarked as he lugged the box back to the gun room. They did adjourn then and went into town to the El Rancho for lunch and for an afternoon get away drove out to Strike Dam just to watch the reservoir. Then they came back in after an afternoon of riding around doing much of nothing. Sam’s erstwhile shifting while he sat that day didn’t go unnoticed just uncommented upon. Bill wasn’t about to broach the subject which he found patently hilarious. Dean and Theo were biting their tongues to keep from saying anything, Castiel showed up later that afternoon and to his credit he said nor did anything to raise the ire of Bill, he did however have a bit of a brush up with Dean, again.

 

“That necklace you gave Crowley.” 

 

“Yeah.” Dean said guardedly.

 

“That was actually what it was said to be. What I did earlier that got you in a state was get a mental image of the item so I could catalog it.”

 

“Why didn’t you just ask?” Dean said exasperated.

 

“With everything you’d been through I suspected the last thing you wanted was to be asked to let me go roaming through your mind.”

 

“So you did it without my consent. That’s kind of like rape you know.” Dean started.

 

Sam threw up his hands. “Will you two just fucking stop it!!” Both froze and looked at Sam. “I mean the next thing you’re going to do is unzip to compare lengths. Damn but I’m sick of petty squabbles.”

 

“Don’t necessarily consider this petty.” Dean groused.

 

“What you don’t consider is that those around you might be tired of hearing something rehashed ten times. He looked into your mind, something you’d been loath to permit even if all this shit had not gone down. He found the useful data and ran with it. And Cas, you’re not helping matters by baiting Dean. Cut it out both of you.” 

 

“Sam I sense that you’re a little upset.” Castiel said with a straight face. Dean actually had to cough to kill the impulse to burst out laughing. 

 

“Upset! Your damn right I’m…ok just fuck it.” He got up and walked out of the house into the back yard.

 

“Was it something I said?” Castiel asked.

 

“No Cas,I think it was a combination act between the two of us and something else. Come on.” They went into the back and found Sam folding up the tarp with the summoning circle on it and putting it away, his movements brusque and rough. Dean came up from behind and grabbed him pinning his arms to his side. Sam didn’t even fight back, now Dean was worried. He released his brother and spun him about and noted that his brow was severely furrowed.

 

“Shit man, you face’ll freeze like that and you’ll be in for it.”

 

“Fuck you.” Sam said caustically. 

 

He pulled Sam away from the others for a moment. “Ok bro, I’ve had about all the drama I can stand for one day even if I created part of it. So what gives?”

 

“We’ve got a small cache of junk jewelry in there; so far there have been several pieces that have basically been cursed.” Sam sighed deeply. “I’m just worried that we may not have seen the worst of the lot.”

 

“It’s possible that there might be something else in that packet of shit that might be worse but why borrow trouble?” Dean asked. 

 

“I get my hands on a necklace that grabbed part of my soul, then there was the piece that got your nightmares kicked back in with a vengeance, the piece that hooks souls from hell, and that crop duster one, who knows what the hell else is in that lot.” Sam said looking at him. “Please Dean, I’m not trying to be unreasonable here, it’s just we’ve had enough of a run of black days, I’d like to see a run of good days, okay?” Dean embraced him and kissed him then, and then they rejoined the others. 

 

“We’re checking out the rest of that jewelry.” Dean told the others.

 

“Do you think that wise?” Castiel asked. He held up hands placatingly. “Dean consider what you’ve found out so far, there is no telling what the rest of that lot can or would do.”

 

“Precisely why we’re going to investigate it.” 

 

They went back into the house and broke out the box one more time, this time they lay the remaining pieces out on the dining room table equidistant from each other. Sam checked it all with an EMF meter and got some reading off three pieces, those they pulled to the side as definite. Then they checked again this time with Theo touching each piece, two pieces activated but did nothing. Finally there were six pieces left they were dipped in holy water and nothing was found from them, so they went immediately out back where a small fire was arranged and the pieces incinerated. Back in the house the remaining pieces were gathered together on a cloth covered in Enochian symbols and set on the table. Theo tied up the corners of the cloth to encase them then he looked at the others. 

 

“We’ve got a choice of things to do with this mass.” Castiel said looking at it like a live adder. “Personally I’m all for hurling it into the Sun.” 

 

“Sounds like a winner to me.” With that Castiel didn’t wait but grabbed up the bag and disappeared. 

 

“THAT WASN’T A HINT, CASTIEL.” Dean bellowed.

 

They sat around then waiting, and waiting and then waiting some more. Finally after about three hours Castiel returned, he was panting and sweating profusely. 

 

“Well at least I found out what one piece did, confused the senses. I was lost in the time-space continuum for the last couple of hours. But the jewelry is erased.”

 

“Sorry for your trouble Cas.” Dean said quietly. 

 

“Thank you but don’t think that we’re out of trouble yet. If she collected cursed jewelry what else in her estate may have been cursed.” 

 

Dean grimaced and looked away for a long moment, “You’ve a way of cutting to the heart of it don’t you.” 

 

“Well you asked.” Castiel said tiredly. They looked at one another weary for what this meant not only were they going to be hunting creatures but objects. 

 

Then Dean shook his head. “No, no I’m not going to get mixed up in that. Let some other hunters find out what has become of her stuff, we’ve given our pound of flesh to the butcher for this deal.”

 

Theo nodded then reached out a hand touching Bill, “We’ve all given more than we should’ve in the hunt.”

 

Bill took his hand and smiled. Then he got up from his place and walked to the door. “I’ll be back in a few guys; I should go grab me a change of clothes. A shower will feel good tonight.”

 

“Heard that.” Sam said. 

 

“Yeah well we know why a shower will feel good to use. It’ll be good on abused muscles.” Bill said tartly.

“Watch it Hammael.” Sam said grinning. 

 

Bill put a hand over his heart, “Oh cut me to the quick.” 

 

He opened the door and then shut it behind him that was when they heard the shot ring out. Sam sprung to his feet and whipped open the door to see Bill lying on the porch a spot of blood oozing on the front of his chest. Theo cast about with an extended hand and then clamped it shut. 

 

“Got him.” He turned his closed fist and dragged it towards him. In the distance a dissonant howl arose as the assailant came across the street on his back. He was well within range now, so Theo muted him. Castiel knelt by Bill and stopped the wounds hemorrhaging and then concentrated on reaching to his inner being and touched Bill. The angel glowed momentarily bright then dimmed starkly.

 

“Gentlemen you might want to call your local policemen.” 

 

“Why Cas, just heal him.” Dean said as they grabbed the assailant and hogtied him with handcuffs.

 

“I can’t Dean, he’s dead.” He hovered his hand over the wound a moment and then a bullet popped out and into his palm. He examined it minutely and then grabbed the assailant’s weapon breaking it open he checked the clip, it was a nine round clip with 8 rounds left and each one was a silvery composite bullet.

“I didn’t think it was possible but someone has made bullets out of an angel stake. This one took him through the heart.” Castiel rose up his features hard and harsh in the arc sodium street lights that were flashing on as the twilight deepened. 

 

He stepped down the porch to stand before the bound assailant. He then looked back up to the steps and saw Theo cradling Bill sobbing. Castiel turned to Dean and Sam who was watching the gun man. 

 

“Any more of you out there?” 

 

“Fuck off.” 

 

“Wrong answer.” Castiel said constricting the handcuffs with a flick of the finger. He muted the person again and let the pain talk to him then with one finger he carried him into the back yard. Theo and Dean carried Bill’s corpse around the house into the back as well. Sam washed what little blood was on the front down with the hose then ran around the house. 

 

“Don’t worry,” Castiel started, I’ve rendered your backyard temporarily on my turf, and anyone looking on will only see an empty backyard and will hear nothing.” With that he unmuted the assailant. “How many more of you out there?”

 

“Eat me.”

 

“The truth. How many more of you out there?” Castiel said slowly revealing his true nature and touching the being with Heavenly power.

 

“nnggh 12, there were 13 of us in all. E-each with 8 bullets a piece we are to target angels.” 

 

“Where are the others?” Castiel said harshly. 

 

“Spread out all over the country.” 

 

“Where are they spread out to?” 

 

“Don’t know, wasn’t given that data.”

 

“Given by whom?”

 

“Azazel. He’s growing in the pit now, getting more powerful by the day, pretty soon he’ll be enough to take on Crowley.”

 

“Be silent.” Castiel said, his hair flying with some eldritch power that was manifesting in himself. He extended his hand over the earth. “Azazel, come forth.” The demon was wrenched from hell itself and caged in a demon trap. Immediately there was another commotion in the yard as Crowley appeared on the scene.

 

“Look here mate, you can’t just go plucking demons off my plane.” Theo who was holding the clip of bullets flung them at Crowley and then returned to mourning his brother angel. “Wait a minute I had nothing to do with, AZAZEL! What is going on here?” Crowley demanded.

 

“It would seem your demon spawn here decided to start a power coup and part of that coup was taking out or attempting to take out 72 angels. Which I know you wouldn’t squirm over, only that it would upset the balance and God may take it personally.” With that Castiel turned back to the bound assailant and placed his hand on his forehead. White fire blasted through the gunman and then he lay silent, a moment later the body crumbled to dust. Then a wind came along dispersing the dust. “But as for you Azazel.” In Castiels hand appeared a sword of the finest silver. 

“Wait!” Crowley called. “Let me he is after all one of my charge.”Castiel whipped around and put the point of the sword to Crowley’s throat. 

 

“I would take it a great favor if you helped us track down these gunmen, help us see to their neutralization.” 

 

“I could do worse than have an angels favor.” Crowley said eyeing the sword mistrustfully. Then in a graceful move Castiel spun, flipped his sword around and took off the demon’s head with one blow.

 

“You could’ve given me a whack at him.” Crowley groused.

 

“Whack away. I won’t stop you. But his death was in my hands the moment it came to light that he was killing angels. Avenging angel and all that you know.”

 

Crowley disappeared then, Castiel turned to the demon parts in the trap and twitched a finger, the demon burst into flame and was consumed. He then walked over to Theo and knelt by him cradling his head against his chest as both of them wept over their fallen comrade. 

 

After what seemed like an eternity Castiel hugged Theo close then whispered, “We must let him go little brother.” Theo bent down and kissed the forehead of their friend. 

 

“What will happen to him?” Dean asked heartbroken as was Sam.

 

“We will discorporate his body and send it scattering.”

 

Sam nodded through his own tears of grief, “A favor then.” 

 

“I’m listening.” Castiel said quietly.

 

“Bury him here in the back yard. He should have a resting place.” Dean asked.

 

Dean, Sam, Theo and Castiel shared a look for a long moment and then Theo took a stick and drew a rough rectangle in the earth, suddenly the ground shook and the dirt started flying out of the area to the side. When it was deep enough they lowered Bill’s body into the grave. They stood silent for several long moments then Dean in a very rare gesture crossed himself and knelt at the edge of the grave.

 

“Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, Comforter of the Afflicted, intercede for Hammel, that by your powerful intercession, he may be admitted to enjoy that kingdom which is prepared for her. Amen.” Then he tossed a handful of dirt into the grave. 

 

Dean rose shakily and turned to face Castiel who stood there looking patently miserable they fell against each other now venting their grief. Sam walked over then and took Theo in his arms and together they knelt by the grave pushing handfuls of dirt in, Castiel and Dean broken their embrace and did the same pretty soon all that was left was a tidy mound. In the center of which a small rose bush appeared. Then Castiel dropped the glamour that he had set upon the property. They shared a look and now knew how many their foes numbered and all they had to do would be to wait for the information to start filtering in on this. Sam, Dean, Theo and Castiel sat then on the back porch for the longest time staring at the small rose bush in the center of the yard.

 

(To be continued in Episode 21)


End file.
